Tales of Aang & Katara
by oOoDreamWriterGirloOo
Summary: Series of oneshots based off of Aang and Katara.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! I'm back! This is my 2****nd**** fanfiction, but it's just a collection of oneshots for Kataang. **

**I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.**

**The first chapter is based on "Story of Us' by Taylor Swift. Enjoy!**

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><p>~oOo~<p>

I stared out the window of the Fire Lord's palace, gazing at the sky and the forever shifting cream-colored clouds. I was hypnotized by the way it seemed to go on forever. I was supposed to be helping set up tables with food for Zuko's birthday party, but for some reason, I just kept getting lost staring at the sky. I guess something about it-the energy, the freedom, the openness and beauty reminded me of—_him._

"Katara!" Suki called. I snapped back to reality and looked around the huge hall decorated with fire nation flags, chairs, and tablecloths.

"You're supposed to be setting up the tables, not staring out the window." Suki scolded me, walking into the hall. I looked down at my feet and sighed forlornly.

"Y-yeah, I know. I just can't seem to find the energy anymore." I said tiredly, not meeting her eyes. Suki sighed and seemed to understand what was going on. She gently placed her arm on my shoulder.

"Listen, Zuko's birthday is in a few days! He'll be turning 21 and it's going to be a big coming-of-age party. We promised that we'd help him." She explained.

"I know, I know." I said.

" We have a lot to get done and you can't keep getting distracted. Just—try not to think about Aang." She said, softly. I shut my eyes as soon as I heard his name and felt tears fill up in my eyes. Suki noticed me trembling and placed both hands on my shoulders.

"Katara—"

"Well, how am I NOT supposed to think about him? He j-just left us here—left me. I can't help it if I get distracted at everything that reminds me of him!" I shouted at her. Then, I buried my face in my hands as hot tears began to spill out of my eyes. Suki gasped and pulled me into her arms. She tried to calm me down as I began sobbing.

"It's just been 10 months. He's probably off doing his avatar duties and stuff. He has to look out for the world, you know. It's not easy." She softly explained.

"H-he c-could h-have v-visited us or something! Y-you don't understand! Imagine not seeing s-Sokka for ten m-months!" I cried.

"Hey guys, how's it going? Whoa! What's going on? What's up with Katara?" Sokka asked, dumbly. I turned around to glare at him. Suki shook her head and motioned him to leave the hall.

"Ok, whatever. Do whatever you girls do." Sokka mumbled as he left. Suki turned to me.

"You know, not seeing Sokka for a while might actually do me some good." Suki said, laughing. I couldn't help but laugh along with her as I wiped the tears out of my eyes and met her gaze. Then, I slowly looked down.

"But you start to miss him after a while, won't you?" I asked sadly. Suki sighed and nodded.

"Listen, Katara. Try to get some of this work done. We need to be ready for the big party. Everyone's going to be there. Just try to focus on other things, okay?" Suki consoled, rubbing her hand on my back. I sniffed and nodded. She left the hall and I resumed setting plates and silverware on the large table. Eventually, my gaze met the sky again. I just shook my head and closed the window with the deep red curtains.

After I was done setting up the table, I walked down to the main hall where the party will be held. I began setting up decorations around the huge hall like red balloons with the black fire nation insignia on them around the whole place. When I was finished, I gazed at the room. There was food set up at side tables for the guests to eat. There was even a space reserved as a dance floor in the middle of the hall. At the back of the hall was the fire lord's magnificent throne perched on top of a huge stool-thingy and was decorated with gold and red ribbons. At the sides of the throne were two dining tables. The one on the left of the throne was reserved Zuko, Suki, Sokka, Toph, Me, Mai, Ty Lee, the Kyoshi Warriors, some of the freedom fighters including Smellerbee, Longshot, the Duke, and Pipsqueak. These were all of the Fire Lord's closest friends. There was one particular chair at that table, however, that was reserved for someone who I was sure would not show up.

"If you haven't shown up in 10 months, what makes me think that you'll show up now?" I muttered under my breath. I turned to the right side of the throne. This dining table was reserved for the white lotus, some water tribe men including my father, and the Earth King, King Kuei.

I suddenly noticed that I was exhausted and plopped myself down in a chair. Then, I heard Zuko come in. He was dressed in simple fire nation clothes with his hair down instead of his traditional fire lord robes. He looked around the room.

"So, how does it look?" I asked him.

He shrugged and smiled. "It's okay."

I rolled my eyes.

"Come on, Zuko. Isn't it amazing? You have this huge birthday party in your honor and—" Something in his hand caught my eye.

"What's that?" I motioned to the piece of paper in his hand. He looked down and his eyes grew wide.

"Oh this! This-this is just nothing! I-It's just a letter, nothing you need to worry about." Zuko said, nervously. Suki and Sokka walked through the door.

"So Zuko, what was it that you needed to tell us about?" Sokka asked. Mai and Toph came in, too. I looked around.

"Is there something you need to tell us, Zuko?" I asked him. Zuko sighed.

"I sent a letter to one of our friends asking him to attend my birthday party. I didn't think he would actually reply." Zuko scratched the back of his neck. He met my gaze. "He's coming."

"Who?" Toph asked.

"Yeah, who? I think we have everyone." Sokka said.

"I don't think there's anyone else….Ohhhhhhh….." Suki said slowly. She face-palmed herself and met my gaze. After a couple of seconds, Toph, Sokka, and Mai have realized who it was, too. Everyone was staring at me.

"Well, I'm confused. Who is it!" I asked. Zuko sighed and handed me the letter. I looked at him and then to the letter slowly.

_Hi Zuko!_

_ Thanks for inviting me to your birthday party! I would love to come! Sorry I haven't been sending letters lately. I've just been way too busy. You know how it is, protecting the world and whatnot._

_I actually have some free time now. The Council of Leaders agreed that I could have some time off since the rebelling has died down._

_Make sure you say hi to Sokka, Suki, Toph, and Mai for me! Don't forget Katara. I hope she's doing okay._

_So anyway, I'd love to come to your birthday party. I'm looking forward to seeing you soon, Sifu Hotman._

_-Aang_

I couldn't stop staring at the letter, even when I was done reading. A huge swirl of emotions were rushing inside me—excitement, anger, sorrow, happiness, frustration, and love. I shut my eyes and reopened them again. I slowly handed the letter back to Zuko. He carefully took the letter from my hand, still looking at me. I took a deep breath, stood up, and quietly left the room, with everyone's eyes on me. I went to my room that I was staying in inside the Palace. I slowly walked inside and as soon as I shut the door, I broke into enormous sobs. I buried my head in my pillow as I heard footsteps coming near my room. I heard a knock on the door.

"Katara?" Suki asked.

"Go away." I sobbed, but Suki allowed herself to come in. I could hear her footsteps toward me and the sound of her sitting on my bed. It was a long time before she spoke.

"If I was you, I'd be really excited." Suki chuckled. I glanced at her and slowly sat up on the bed.

"After 10 months, he decided to finally come just for Zuko's party." I stated.

"Oh no, he came for all of us, Katara. He mentioned how he had some leisure time and he's visiting us." Suki attempted. I didn't say anything. After a long time, she spoke up again.

"What will you say to him when you meet him?" She questioned me curiously. I shook my head.

"No. I'm not meeting him." I declared. She laughed.

"Oh please, Katara. How can you _not _meet him? He'll be at the party, you'll be at the party, it's impossible not to see him." Suki explained.

"I'll avoid him." I replied. She laughed harder.

"You can't avoid the avatar. He'll just probably sense where you are, and make you talk to him." Suki said. She paused as she looked at me.

"Why don't you want to meet him?" She asked.

"He LEFT ME FOR 10 MONTHS. Do you really expect me to be happy that he caused me that much pain after he returns? No!" I cried.

"But Katara, he didn't see you for just as long. Don't you think it was just as painful not seeing you, or any of us, and having to look after the world every day?" Suki asked more softly.

"Then he shouldn't have left!" I said, plopping down on the pillow.

"Katara, you're being unreasonable!" Suki exclaimed.

"No I'm not!"

"Okay, now you're just being a baby." Suki said.

"Shut up." I said. Suki just laughed and got up, making her way to the door. Before leaving, she glanced at me one more time.

"You know you're in love with him—you're just too afraid to admit it." She said, before closing the door, and leaving me pulling out my hair.

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><p>It was the day of the party. Great.<p>

I woke up feeling like I had been sat on by a badger mole. Suki made me quickly get dressed in my fire nation outfit, did my hair and pushed me out in the main hall to greet the guests.

I had to greet random people who I didn't know, mostly leaders of small earth villages which were previously controlled by the Fire Nation. After greeting my father, the Kyoshi Warriors, and the Freedom Fighters, I decided I wouldn't stick around until I saw Aang. I explored the hall, meeting new people and tried some of the Fire Nation food. The spicy fire noodles nearly burned my tongue off.

After an hour, the ceremony began, and Aang wasn't there yet. I was relieved, but a small part of my heart was sad. I thought about what Suki had said, but I just shook my head and made my way over to the reserved dining table for us. Everyone joined me later.

"Yum! I can't wait until THE FOOD COMES!" Sokka said with his watering mouth. I just rolled my eyes as he sat down two seats down from mine. Suki came and sat next to me and Mai sat across. Everyone came until all the seats were taken—well, almost all. Aang's seat still remained untouched. Thank the spirits that I sat nowhere near him. Soon, the waitresses came out with the food and served us hot steaming bowls of traditional fire nation rice. Sokka began digging in immediately. The horns sounded, signaling the beginning of the ceremony.

"_Maybe Aang's not coming", _I thought, a little sad. This made me more depressed and left me with no interest with my food.

After the horns stopped, everyone turned their attention to the main door.

"CONGRATULATIONS TO HIS MAJESTY, FIRE LORD ZUKO, FOR HIS COMING-OF-AGE 21ST BIRTHDAY! MAY WE WELCOME HIM WITH GREAT HONOR!" The guard shouted from beside the door. The horns began playing again as Zuko entered with his long red, black, and gold fire nation robes. Every one stood and stared as he made his way slowly up to his throne. He turned around, motioned everyone to have a seat and then sat down.

"Well, that's over. I guess we can eat!" Sokka said.

"But what about-" Suki began, but her voice was drowned out by the loud horns once again. I rolled my eyes.

"_What is it this time?" _

"AND NOW, A SPECIAL GUEST AND A CLOSE FRIEND OF FIRE LORD ZUKO HAS GRACIOUSLY COME TO ATTEND. PLEASE HONOR AVATAR AANG!" The horns sounded as people stood up and craned their necks to see.

"Oh no!" I whispered.

"Are you okay?" Suki asked. I just shook my head.

"It'll be fine. Just don't worry!" Suki comforted me. I just shut my eyes and hoped for the best when the horns stopped. After a few seconds, the guests began mumbling curiously. I opened my eyes carefully and looked around the room and to the main door. No one came.

"Where's the avatar?" One lady whispered.

"I don't know, maybe he's late." Another man suggested.

"Or what if he didn't come at all?" An old man pointed out. The suspicious mumbling of the guests grew louder until everyone turned their attention to the guard.

"I could've sworn he was here." He muttered to another guard. He turned to face the guests.

"UM…THERE SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM. THE AVATAR WILL ARRIVE MOMENTARILY!" He declared. Zuko stood up, just as confused as we were.

"Until then, let us begin the celebration. Thank you all for attending." He said as the music began playing and the guests began bustling about.

"Hmm…I guess Twinkletoes is late. Oh well." Toph said.

"LET'S EAT!" Sokka resumed devouring his food. Suki just patted my back and began her meal.

I couldn't describe the pain that had settled in my heart. Despite saying that I wanted to avoid him, I wished I could see Aang one more time. I really thought he was coming to see me. I didn't know what I wanted anymore. I didn't want him to come, but since he really didn't come, I wished he had came…and if he really had come, I wouldn't have wanted him to come in the first place. These overwhelming feelings filled me with such anxiety, anger, and sadness that I wasn't interested in the party-or anything-anymore.

I slowly got up unnoticed and headed towards the nearest exit, leading to the garden.

When I was outside, I inhaled a deep, shaky breath. I had gotten a painful headache and for no reason, I felt like crying right there. I was rubbing my temples and trying to calm myself down until I heard a loud grunt. I looked up.

"Appa!" I ran towards the giant bison and hugged-or tried to hug the furry creature.

"I haven't seen you in such a long time! I missed you so much!" I told him. I had forgotten how much I missed the bison when Aang took him along on his journey. Then, Appa gave me a huge, slimy, wet lick.

"Ewwww, Appa!" I complained as I tried to waterbend all the saliva off me. When I was done, I came to a shocking realization.

"Wait….if _you're _here then…." I gasped, hearing a soft chuckle from behind me. I slowly turned to see a tall, handsome man of about 17 years of age wearing air nomad robes and a goofy but charming smile. Did I mention he had tattoos, too?

"Guess you and Appa got reacquainted." He chuckled, walking towards me with a bucket of water in his hand. He set it near Appa so the bison could lap it up with his giant tongue. He turned to face me and waited.

I could've sworn that I was as red as a tomato, gawking at the avatar that stood before me. My legs were weak and I was desperate to run back into the palace. He noticed this and raised his eyebrow in a teasing manner. I finally had the nerve to speak up.

"Aren't you supposed to be inside the palace?" I asked him. He met my gaze with his silver eyes.

"Hmm…I don't know. Aren't you supposed to be inside, too?" He asked and laughed when he saw the look on my face.

"I was told to stay outside and walk in to a grand entrance in my honor until I remembered that I had to give Appa something to drink. He gets tired on these long journeys." He said, rubbing the bison's head before looking at me again.

"And I also don't like such a big commotion in my honor, so I kind of decided to ditch them. You know how I can be, Katara." He said, laughing. Hearing him say my name made my already pounding heart beat faster.

"Well, I'm glad to see you and Appa are doing well. I should really just get back to the party." I nervously stated, avoiding his eyes.

"Wait." He said. My legs automatically stopped.

"Why did you leave the party in the first place?" He asked me. I turned around to look at his eyes again.

"I just needed some fresh air and some space from Sokka and his…eating habits." I said, laughing nervously. The airbender studied me intently, watching my every move.

"So, I'll just go now…" I said, starting to walk away quickly. Then, I felt another hand on my arm. I simply shut my eyes as the hand turned me around. I opened my eyes to find myself face-to-face with his intense stare.

"Aang-" I started.

"I need to talk to you, Katara." He said, an inch away from my face.

"I should really get back-"

"Look, I know you're mad at me, but—"

"But what?" I asked, sternly. Hearing this, he let go of my hands and backed away a couple of inches.

"10 months without you have felt like 10 years. I've never felt so alone." I whispered sadly. Aang looked to the ground and fixed his gaze on me.

"Katara, I would like nothing more than spend every second with you, but I'm the avatar. I can't constantly see you!" He reasoned with me.

"But you can't constantly keep looking after the world! The avatar is supposed to maintain balance between the four nations, not be everyone's babysitter!" I yelled. He was taken aback by this statement and stood still. I sighed sadly as the silence between us settled in. The only thing I could hear was music and noise from behind me in the palace, Appa lapping up water, and the singing blue birds chirping in the trees. The happy mood almost seemed insulting to us.

Aang was about to say something until one of the guards ran up to us.

"Master Avatar sir! You were given directions to enter the grand hall for Fire Lord Zuko's celebration! Please come with me, everyone is waiting!" The guard told Aang. The guard began to walk away, but Aang stopped him.

"You know, I think I'll just take the back door." He said. The guard wore a confused look on his face.

"But sir, we need to properly welcome you on the Fire Lord's orders." He informed. Aang nodded.

"Yes, but on my orders, I would like to take the back door, unnoticed." Aang said, grinning.

"Uh…whatever you say…Master Avatar sir…." The guard mumbled, wearing an I-hate-my-job look while walking away. Then, Aang turned to look at me, but he hadn't noticed that I had already started walking towards the palace.

"Wait up!" He said, jogging towards me. I just made my pace quicker until I reached the back door and entered to see the rest of my friends still eating at the dining table. Aang followed close behind me.

"Hey, it's Twinkletoes and Sugarqueen!" Toph smiled. Everyone widened their eyes when they saw us.

"I guess you two made up." Suki whispered, when I made my way over to my seat.

"Not really," I whispered as I watched everyone welcoming and hugging Aang. I noticed that everyone had already finished their meals.

"Alright, enough of this. LET'S DANCE!" Sokka yelled enthusiastically while pulling a surprised Suki onto the dance floor. I laughed as I watched everyone move onto the dance floor, but I remained in my seat.

I glanced to the right and I saw Aang quietly finishing his meal at the far end of the table. There was an awkward silence between us, considering that both of us were alone at the table and all of our friends were having fun. At this moment, I felt like I was truly alone in a crowded room, and the silence between us was louder than anything I've known. I was dying to tell him all of the things that I wished he knew. Things like how much I had missed him, his laugh, his voice, his eyes, and his smile. I felt guilty about putting him through all of this.

I was just about to speak to him when a man noticed Aang sitting at our table.

"Holy Spirits! The Avatar is here!" He yelled as everyone turned their heads toward him. Aang looked up surprised.

"Uh..hehehe…Hi everybody…" Aang said, smiling and waving nervously. Then, in a split second, a mob of people rushed towards Aang so fast that I had to get out of my seat and avoid all the chaos.

"Mister Avatar!"

"Over here, Avatar Aang!"

"Oh spirits! I'm actually meeting the avatar!"

I sighed as I watched everyone begging to talk or shake hands with Aang. At that moment, I realized that it must have been a gigantic pain in the butt to be the avatar. You have to look after the world every waking moment of the day, you never have time for your friends or family, you're basically treated like some huge celebrity everywhere you go, and you have to fight to see the one person you love turn you down because she couldn't live without you for almost a year. I sighed at these thoughts running through my head and finally understood what Aang was going through. I was being too hard on him, and all he wanted to do was see me after constantly working to protect the world. It's not his fault he had to leave.

I had to talk to him, but there was no way on this planet that I could get to him with all those people surrounding the avatar. Suddenly, the music shifted to a slow love song, which apparently everyone noticed.

"Avatar! Please, dance with my daughter!"

"No! Dance with mine! She's lovely!"

"No, mine is better! She is a big fan! I think you'll like her!"

I stared on, stunned as parents pushed their daughters and a confused Aang towards the dance floor. So many girls wanted to dance with Aang that they were instructed to form a line and wait for their turn. I just laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation. It was unbelievable.

I rolled my eyes as I took my seat. Oh well, the avatar is the avatar. I looked on as Aang was forced to dance with a short girl about 16 with way too much make up on. She had a short purple dress with her black, curly hair tied up in a bun and was whispering something to Aang that was making his face turn as red as a tomato. I kept looking on with my elbow resting on the table and my hand supporting my chin. When the song was over, another girl stepped up to Aang. I sighed again knowing that I was alone at a table in a party full of people and the one guy I liked was dancing with a million other girls. When I knew I had enough, I stood up, walked straight on the dance floor, passed directly behind Aang and entered through a door on the opposite side of the hall. I entered into a small hallway where the maids would walk through with platters of food heading towards the main hall. I sighed as I made my way down the corridor towards my bedroom upstairs, keeping to the left side of the hall so I would not get in the way of the maids walking in the opposite direction on the right. I just wanted to get away from all of this. I wondered if Aang would even notice that I'm gone.

I continued walking slowly down the hall as I traced the intricate firenation designs on the wall to my left with my hand. Then, I heard some maids stop and gasp in front of me as I felt a soft hand on my shoulder. They were all looking behind me, stopping in their tracks. I slowly turned around to face a handsome young man with arrows who was slightly taller than me. I felt my cheeks get warm considering how close we were.

"We still need to talk, Katara." He said, firmly with an expressionless face. I replied with the first thing that came to mind.

"I thought you were supposed to be dancing with those girls. How did you manage to get away?" I asked curiously.

"I wasn't 'supposed' to be dancing with them. They just wanted me to for their own reasons. I don't want to dance with them; I want to talk to you." He explained, looking into my eyes. I felt heat settle on my cheeks as I heard some maids behind me giggle.

"And if you really want to know, I just told them that I wanted to use the bathroom. " He chuckled.

"And between you and me," He said, leaning closer to my red face, "they're not very good dancers— I've had much more fun dancing with you, "He finished with a sweet smile that made me melt on the inside. Maids continued to giggle. I shook my head and stared at him angrily.

"Don't try to sweet talk me out of this, Aang. I'm still mad at you!" I irritably said, still aware I was blushing. He just nodded as if he expected I would say this.

"Yeah, I know, but it was worth a shot." He said, laughing. It was then that I realized how much I had missed his laugh and his smile. I remembered what I thought about earlier and how it must have been difficult being the avatar. I knew I had already forgiven him, but I just wanted to wait to hear what he had to say first. I looked at him with an irritable look on my face as he finished laughing. He noticed this look and sighed. Then, he took both my hands in his, sending electrical shocks through my body.

"Katara, I've missed you so much it hurts. I hated sitting through all those meetings, listening and talking about how to make everyone happy, knowing that you weren't. Well, I wasn't either. There was not a day that went by that I didn't think about you and wished I'd be here with you. Now that I'm finally here, it pains me to see you so sad and angry with me. You were right. I am giving the world too much attention. I am supposed to look after it, guide it, and maintain balance, not be in charge of it. Yes, the avatar is the bridge between the spirit world and the earth, but the avatar is also a regular guy who has friends and family—and this guy wants nothing more than spend every second of his life with his forever girl." He finished, smiling as his sparkling eyes gazed into mine.

Well, I must've looked like an idiot, just standing there. I was speechless. I opened my mouth to say something, but I didn't get to finish. I felt warm lips over mine and strong but gentle hands gripping my shoulders. I felt myself melt as I gently put my arms around Aang, letting all the passion and longing I had for him for ten months flow out of me.

I heard all the maids behind us gasp, giggle, and say "awwwwww", but were soon interrupted by the cook.

"What are you all staring at? Come on, get going. We have food to serve!" The big man scolded, pushing them along, as they tried to get a better view at us. I didn't care who was watching us; I was lost in my own world.

We pulled back and gazed into each other's eyes and smiled.

"I love you." I said.

"I love you too," Aang replied, as we fell into a warm embrace. Just then, we heard someone come through the doors.

"Katara—" Suki stopped when she saw us. Then, she smiled.

"So I guess you two made up, huh?" She raised an eyebrow. I giggled and nodded.

"Well, that's good! I was just coming to get you. You want to head back to the party? We're having a lot of fun!" Suki exclaimed.

"Yeah! And you and I can finally get to dance!" Aang said, looking down at me. I made a face.

"Ugh. What about all those fan girls?" I asked.

"Don't worry about them. Soon enough, they'll understand that there's only one girl I have in mind," Aang said, grinning, as he pulled me out of the doors and onto the dance floor with a slow song already playing.

"May I take your hand and join me in dancing, my lady? Aang imitated an elderly gentleman while stretching out his hand. I giggled.

"Why of course you may, sir." I said, gracefully placing my hand in his. Then, we slowly fell into an embrace as the music carried us away into our own world of bliss.

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><p><strong>Okay. Reeaaallly long one-shot. I didn't want to make it this long, but it just kind of happened.<strong>

**Anyway, please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Enjoy!**

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><p>~oOo~<p>

Katara always wondered how one man—_just one —_could make her feel this way. She was staying at Kyoshi Island with Sokka, Suki, and Toph so that Suki and her village could have their own celebration of the 3rd year anniversary of war's end. Just hours before the party, the Gaang decided to squeeze in some training. Katara was taking a break after waterbending practice and took note of the scene around her. They were in a small meadow with a flowing creek and she could see Sokka and Suki fighting each other (although Suki was kicking Sokka's butt), Toph smashing rocks near the tree and Aang practicing airbending.

She felt like she'd been staring at Aang for an hour, but was sure he didn't notice. She couldn't help but notice the way he executed each and every bending form perfectly, gracefully but swiftly moving his body around as if it were an air current. His bending was incredible; he could shoot huge blasts of air with a flick of a wrist. With all of this entrancing her, the fact that he was shirtless on a humid day wasn't helping.

After Aang shot his last blast of air, he wiped the sweat off his forehead and came over to sit next to Katara. Katara could immediately feel her body get hotter, considering the closeness of their two bodies. She could not tell why she was feeling this way around Aang, considering the fact she had known him for nearly 4 years.

"_Maybe it's because he changed." _Katara thought to herself while Aang took a sip of water from a jug. Katara couldn't help notice the fact that he had gotten about two inches taller than her since the end of the war and that his voice had become deeper (after his humiliating voice-cracking stage). His body had gotten much more muscular and distracts Katara whenever they'd practice waterbending. In fact, Aang distracts Katara whenever he's within 20 feet of her. Now, he's two inches away from her, making her heart beat like crazy.

"So…are you having fun?" Aang asked Katara, not making eye contact with her, but looking straight ahead. Katara was confused.

"Fun with what?" She asked. This time, he turned to look at her.

"You know…staring and drooling at me whenever I'm bending." He said, smiling. Katara was caught red-handed.

"What? Pshh….I wasn't staring….o-or drooling…" She nervously laughed.

"Really? I've been practicing for about half an hour, and the whole time, your eyes were glued on me." He pointed out, still looking at her, with and eyebrow raised.

"W-well, I was just thinking about some things…" she nervously said.

"What kind of things?" Aang asked curiously.

"Things like how the war ended years ago and how we're all happy and together now." Katara said, seriously, still trying to get out of trouble. Aang just nodded.

"So you weren't thinking things like how hot I look without my shirt or how deep my voice got or anything like that, right?" He asked, smiling and teasing her.

"How—"

"Please, Katara. I can see your reaction whenever I'm within twenty feet of you. You're fidgety and your heart beat shoots up like a sky bison in the air," Aang paused. "And not to mention, you're _always _looking at me. You probably think you can get away by watching me practice, don't you?" Aang laughed, smiling.

Curse his wisdom.

"Wah-I-but-how-I don't- wha-" Katara stuttered, but Aang silenced her.

"I remember how I used to feel around you when we were kids. Whenever you'd hug me, say how sweet I was, or kiss me on the cheek, my heart would beat so fast. You could do the slightest thing to pull me into a trance or make me want to watch you all day," Aang paused again. "But I got used to it…you had your fun….and now it's my turn." He evilly smiled.

"But—how did you get over it? It's impossible for me to focus on anything else with you around—or even when I think of you! With just one look from you, you can make me forget how to waterbend. It's so frustrating!" Katara clenched her hair.

"Calm down. It's just a phase. There's nothing wrong with think I'm irresistible." Aang bragged, still giving Katara that smile that made her heart race.

"But I hate feeling like you can control me. I feel so inferior." Katara informed him. "But it's okay, I can still make you blush without even trying." She teased him. He raised his eyebrow in a questioning manner.

"Really?" He said, leaning in closer to her face. Katara tried to maintain her composure.

"Mmm-hmm" She said, still aware that he was coming unbearably close. Just when they were close enough to kiss, Katara leaned in but Aang sharply pulled back.

"AHA! BEAT THAT!" He triumphantly said, pumping his hands in the air. This just made Katara angrier. She quickly put his hand on his abdomen and pushed his chest back so that he was just touching the ledge next to them. She leaned in painfully close to his ear.

"My pleasure, Avatar." She said, in a soft but low voice. She knew she had won when she heard him gulp.

"Looks like I win," she said, smiling, still very close to him.

"Okay. Here's your prize," Aang said in a low voice before capturing her lips in a breath taking kiss. Katara gladly agreed, wrapping her arms around his neck and he doing the same with her waist.

"Hey, hey, hey! No public displays of affection!" Sokka yelled, waving his hands in front of his face and shutting his eyes closed.

However, Katara didn't care. After all, Aang was the only one who could make her feel this way.

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><p><strong>Hehe…this one was fun to write.<strong>

**REVIEW PLEAAAASSSEEEE!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for the reviews!**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>~oOo~<strong>

Katara could not get any more worried about Aang. No one had seen the young avatar for about a day. Katara glanced to her right and saw Zuko, looking straight ahead and steering Appa. Then, she shifted her gaze to the ominous blood-red sky as she saw the fiery comet in the distance. She knew, at this moment, that her brother Sokka, Toph, and Suki were helping in destroying the fire nation's war airships and that the old masters of the White Lotus were reclaiming Ba Sing Se. Zuko and Katara had just won one of the most historic battles—the defeat of Princess Azula—and were flying back on Appa to search for any of their friends in need.

Katara was not able to accept the fact that Aang had just disappeared before she had a chance to talk to him. She felt a harsh pang of pain in her gut as she recalled the last conversation with Aang before he disappeared.

"_THIS ISN'T A JOKE, SOKKA! NONE OF YOUUNDERSTAND THE POSITION I'M IN!" The young avatar recoiled to Sokka's arrogant remark, obviously fed up with no one truly understanding what he is dealing with._

"_Aang, we do understand. It's just that-" Katara was cut off by the fuming boy._

"_Just WHAT, KATARA? WHAT?" Aang shouted, wanting to know how she could make everything better this time._

"_We're just trying to help!"_

"_Then when you figure out how to defeat the firelord without taking his life, I'd love to hear it!" Aang yelled, storming off in frustration._

"_Aang! Don't walk away from this!"_

It pained Katara knowing that Aang was in such a state of anger, confusion, stress, and fear when she last saw him. If somehow, he didn't return from his disappearance, she would have never gotten to tell him goodbye or how much she truly cared about him. If he didn't return, she would have that painful memory as the last time she saw the Avatar.

Katara shook her head. She shouldn't think this way. Aang _will _return and save the world, like she'd always hoped. He was probably fighting the fire lord right now and winning.

_But what if he lost?_

Katara couldn't hold back all of the painfully possible questions that were making their way into her mind. She wanted to see Aang more than anything in the world. She would trade her soul to hold him one more time and tell him that she was sorry.

Suddenly, Katara felt light tears making their way down her cheeks. Eventually, she broke out into sobs, covering her tired and grimy face. Zuko noticed this.

"Katara? Katara, what's wrong?" He asked, thinking something was wrong with her.

"I-It's Aang. I-I don't know where he is o-or if h-he's safe. W-what if s-something h-happened t-to him?" Katara cried in between heart-wrenching sobs. All she could think about is if she'll ever see that goofy smile or those wise gray eyes again.

Zuko didn't know what to say, considering he's never comforted a girl before. He just pulled her into his chest, where she let all of her pain and sadness out. His scar still burned painfully, but he doubted it was anything close to what pain Katara was feeling. Zuko didn't say anything; he just let Katara cry her heart out. It must've been something like 15 minutes before Katara's sobs died down and she pulled back.

There was a long silence with the occasional sound of Katara sniffling.

"You really like him, don't you?" Zuko slowly spoke up after a while. She just glanced at him with her blue orbs.

"Don't walk away from this." Katara sadly said, fixing her gaze on her lap. Zuko was confused.

"What?" She looked up at him once again.

"Don't walk away from this. It's the last thing I said to him. It's kind of ironic if you think about it." She softly said, sniffling. Zuko was curious.

"How so?"

"Ever since Aang was killed by Azula, I was afraid that I'd lose him again. The whole time he was in that coma, I never left his side. I realized that with the pain of almost losing him, I almost lost myself. I realized that without him, I couldn't survive." Katara paused and took a shaky breath. Zuko was intently listening.

"I told myself that if I become this attached to Aang again, I would be completely destroyed if anything happened to him. So, I forbade myself from becoming even more attached to Aang… But then—" Katara shut her eyes and took in another slow and long breath.

"Then he kissed me during the invasion. I didn't say anything about it until he kissed me again in the Ember Island Players. He wanted to know why I wasn't saying anything about this. He wanted to know why I was confused about our relationship. He wanted to know why I was walking away from him..." Katara ended in a soft whisper.

"I thought that by not becoming attached to him, I could save myself pain if anything…happened…but the truth was…I was walking away from him. Then, I told him not to do the same during that fight." Katara paused and met Zuko's gaze.

"I don't just really like him, Zuko… I love him." Katara slowly said the words as they escaped her lips. She was never able to say that before—out loud or in her mind because she never allowed herself to.

"And I wish nothing more than to hope he knows that," Katara's voice quivered as her eyes filled to the brim with tears, threatening to fall out once more. Zuko rested his hand on Katara's shoulder.

"I think he already does. Love is a powerful thing, Katara. It can make a person stronger than they could imagine, or weaker than anything else. If Aang really is taking on my father right now, I'm sure he's fueling his strength off of your love." Zuko finished, sympathetically smiling. Katara looked at him.

"But how can you be so sure?" She asked, searching his face for answers. Just then, something caught Zuko's eye. Katara noticed him gawking at something and turned around to see it.

It was a glorious giant blue ray of light shooting straight up through the sky, seemingly extending on forever. The source seemed to be miles away. Katara was awe-stricken. An ordinary thing couldn't have caused that—it had to be something…something very very powerful. Then, Katara realized the only other time she saw that magnificent blue beam of light—when Aang first came out of the iceberg.

Katara gasped and slowly turned around to face Zuko. Zuko narrowed his eyes.

"It's him."

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><p>Zuko and Katara followed the giant ray of light and spotted a giant fire nation blimp on a huge rock pillar. Then, they spotted some people—and a furry lemur. They must have guessed that they were their friends and landed Appa.<p>

As soon as Katara got off Appa, Suki and Sokka ran up to hug her at the same time.

"Katara! You're okay!" Suki cried.

"Yes, I'm fine. SOKKA! What happened to your leg?" Katara yelled in panic as she noticed her brother limping.

"I broke it when trying to destroy the airships, but I'm fine." Sokka comforted his sister as she hugged him tightly.

"How did your battle with Azula go?" He asked, pulling out of Katara's embrace. She looked down.

"We won, but Zuko was hurt with her lightning." Katara said, motioning to Zuko, who was standing there, gripping his stomach in pain.

"Zuko, are you okay?" Suki asked, running up to him.

"I'm fine. I just need some rest." He said, still gripping his stomach.

"I can't believe you guys did it!" Suki cried with excitement.

"What about you guys? Did you take down all the airships?" Katara asked.

"Heck yeah we did, Sugar Queen." Toph said, coming up to her.

"TOPH!" Katara squeezed the girl. "You're okay!" She cried.

"Ka-ta-ra, you-re ki-lling m-e!" Toph tried to speak, but relaxed when Katara let go.

"Yes, we took down the air ships, and we're okay, but Twinkletoes is the one who saved us." Toph explained. Katara's eyes widened.

"Yeah, you should've seen him, Katara! He was like *_whoosh* *sploosh* _ AIRBENDING SLICE!" Sokka tried to make over exaggerated movements with his arms, but stopped when he felt pain in his leg.

"Well, it was nothing." Katara heard Aang's recognizable voice as he walked up to them. He stopped when he saw the young water tribe girl.

"Hi, Katara," he shyly said. Katara's eyes widened. She couldn't control all the emotions bubbling up inside of her.

"AANG!" She cried out as she ran up to him and tackled him in a much-needed hug. She could feel Aang's muscles tighten in surprise, but then slowly relax.

"You're okay! I was so worried about you! Where did you go? What happened? Did you get hurt?" Katara frantically asked, searching the boy for any bruises or broken limbs.

"I'm fine, Katara. I just have a few scratches and bruises, but I'm okay." Aang comforted her, as he placed his hands on her shoulders. Katara just gazed into his grey eyes before her own filled up with tears.

"Oh Aang, I'm so glad you're okay!" She said, hugging him tightly once again. He wrapped his arms around her body, realizing how much he missed this. There were a few seconds of silence as he heard soft cries erupting from the girl holding him.

"Katara?" He asked, wanting to know why the girl was crying, but she was holding onto him too tightly to let go.

"Katara, don't cry." He softly said while patting her back gently with his tattooed hand.

"It's just that—I m-missed you so m-much, Aang. I w-was so worried about y-you." Katara said, crying, still holding onto him. Aang held on tighter and sighed.

"I missed you too." He softly said, blinking away tears.

"I'm sorry," He heard the girl say in an almost unheard whisper. With this, he pried Katara off to look at her wet eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

"Katara, why are you sorry?" He asked. Her eyes shifted to look at the rocky ground, but her hands were still placed on Aang's shoulders.

"Y-you were so angry a-and s-scared when you left. I w-wasn't there to help y-you," She said, her eyes filling up with tears once again.

"It wasn't your fault. It's wasn't anyone's fault. I disappeared for a reason. I defeated the fire lord and the world is safe now, so don't cry," Aang explained as he comforted her, but as soon as he let go, she immediately retracted to hugging him once again.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm just so happy that y-you're okay." She cried. However, she soon stopped and her eyes widened. She sharply pulled back.

"Y-you defeated the fire lord?" She quietly asked him. He smiled and nodded, motioning to something behind him. Katara looked at a dark object across Aang's shoulder. She noticed it was a man lying on the ground with his hair sprawled out everywhere and had a fire nation insignia on his belt. She widened her eyes as she stepped closer to the man. He wasn't moving. She slowly turned around to look at Aang.

"Did you—finish him?" She asked, slowly. Then, she jumped as she heard the man speak.

"I TOLD YOU FOOLS THAT I'M STILL ALIVE!" He tried to yell, but he seemed too weak and helpless. Katara just stared at the man with shock.

"I knew that I just couldn't take his life to help anyone. Instead, I took his firebending away." Aang simply said. Katara turned to look at the young avatar in amazement while his gaze was fixed on the fire lord.

"You don't have to rub it in," Ozai menacingly said.

"How did you do _that, _Aang?" Katara wondered in amazement. She had no idea when and where he learned this. Sure, he was the avatar, but this…this was unbelievable.

"Well, it turns out that this island was calling to me when I was sleeping. I unknowingly followed onto it. When I woke up, I figured out that it was a giant lion turtle who taught me how to bend the energy in people's bodies. So I just bended Ozai's energy of firebending away. Without his firebending, he isn't powerful enough to oppress anyone else." Aang explained. Katara continued to stare at him in amazement.

"Wow." She simply said, her gaze fixed on Ozai.

"Well, we better get going." Sokka said.

"Hey, I was just wondering…where is Azula?" Suki questioned, glancing at Katara.

"Well, after we defeated her, we told some not-so-loyal guards and servants to take her to the police," Zuko explained with his arm still wrapped around his abdomen.

"And they just listened to you guys?" Suki asked, surprised.

"Well, yeah. They said something about how she was banishing everyone and was treating them really harshly, so they agreed. " Katara explained as everyone started getting on Appa.

"Those fools." Ozai muttered, but no one listened.

Aang airbended Ozai on Appa and they took off, heading for the Fire Nation Prison.

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><p>It was a week after the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai—a week for the whole world to learn that the war is over. Everyone who fought in the invasion and taken as prisoners were all released from their jail and were invited to Zuko's coronation. Everyone was gathered in the meeting square and was organized into four rows. Katara was standing in front with her brother, her father, and the others who helped win the dreadful war.<p>

She couldn't have been happier; the war is over and everyone was safe. However, she hadn't seen Aang all day. She didn't have time to even talk to Aang since the war ended because he was too busy confirming the releases of several prisoners, making sure that Ozai and Azula were locked away for good, and repairing all the damages done.

She longed to see Aang. Katara needed to tell him what he truly meant to her. The war is over and everyone's happy. They have all the time in the world to be together now. She was done walking away.

Everyone quieted when the horns blew. Then, cheers and praise erupted when a tall man in fire nation robes appeared from the main door way—Zuko. He raised his arm to thank the praise and silence everyone once again.

"Please. The real hero is the avatar." He proudly said, motioning towards the doorway as another young man emerged in full air nomad clothes and a smile on his face. The crowd erupted in a bigger and louder cheer for the savior. Katara noticed Aang look upon the large crowd, then focus his grey eyes on her. She looked right back at him, filled up with emotion that words cannot describe—pride, happiness, and love.

Zuko gave an amazing speech and was coronated to Fire Lord. They had done it.

They won the war.

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><p>Katara irritably watched Sokka fail at his drawing. They were visiting the Jasmine Dragon on their way back from the Earth King's Palace with the idea of the Harmony Restoration Movement settled. As all of her friends gathered around Sokka's painting, she couldn't help notice Aang silently slip away onto the balcony.<p>

"Hey! My belly's not that big anymore. I've really trimmed down!" Iroh explained.

"Well I think you all look perfect!" Toph jokingly said as everyone laughed. Then, Katara silently slipped away also.

She saw Aang with his back turned to her, watching the setting sun. She quietly walked up to him so she would not disturb him and placed her hands on the hard stone railing. He looked at her with endearing grey eyes, full of hope. She gazed back at him with a slight blush on her cheeks. One slow moment passed by as they fell into a warm embrace, knowing peace was here at last. There were no words needed for this moment—both already knew what the other was thinking, feeling, and doing.

Katara and Aang slowly pulled back to enjoy the beautiful sunset that was making red and orange streaks all across the dimming sky. Katara knew that Ba Sing Se sunsets were the most beautiful and romantic in the world and felt that Aang knew it too. She purely felt at peace with herself at this moment. The world was safe, everyone is together now, and she has the boy of her dreams right next to her. She also knew that this was probably the most romantic moment she had with Aang, but had a feeling it was not over yet.

Katara turned to fully face Aang while he did the same to her, both directly looking into each other's eyes which were filled with love. Then, their lips collided. Katara poured all of her feelings into the kiss—all the memories, the emotions, and the joy. She remembered the first time she met Aang in the ice berg, the fortune teller, the cave of two lovers, the fire nation dance, the invasion kiss, and now. She saw how much he grew and how her love for him grew, too. She would not want to be anywhere else but with him.

He completed her.

Just when she thought the moment couldn't get any better, she heard an annoying voice.

"Hey guys—Ah!" Sokka interrupted.

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><p><strong>KATAANG FOREVER!<strong>

**Haha. Stupid Sokka. **

**Anyway, REVIEW! :P**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much for the reviews!**

**I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender. :(**

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><p>~oOo~<p>

Katara eagerly made her way through the busting streets of the village. She needed to see Aunt Wu, the village's fortuneteller. Aunt Wu had earlier given her a fortune about her future husband, leaving Katara completely mystified. Ever since she was a little girl, all she ever thought about was the man would sweep her off her feet.

"_Who could it be?" _Katara thought, making her pace quicker. She kept thinking back to the previous fortune that Aunt Wu gave her; the fortune saying how her husband would be a powerful bender. Katara could feel butterflies in her stomach just thinking about him.

She already had a clear vision of him in her mind. He would be a master waterbender from the northern water tribe. He'll be tall, tan, and have striking blue eyes with dark hair. He will also be very muscular and very handsome.

Even though Aunt Wu hadn't given her much detail, Katara already had this planned out from when she was little. Still, she'd better check with Aunt Wu just to make sure.

Katara finally reached the fortuneteller's door and quietly creeped inside so she wouldn't bother anyone. She politely knocked at the intricately designed door of Aunt Wu's room and waited until it opened.

"Hi, Aunt Wu. Sorry to bother you." Katara stated, politely.

"Anytime," The old woman smiled.

"About this man I'm supposed to marry…" Katara began, blushing, "Is he going to be handsome? Oh I hope he's tall!" Katara enthusiastically said with her hands clasped together.

"You…want another reading?" Aunt Wu asked, slightly irritated.

"Yes please!" Katara replied, hands still clasped. She entered the comfy room of the fortuneteller which was decorated by soft pallets for sitting on the floor, surrounding a pile of driftwood used for fire in the center of the room. She seated herself on one of the pallets while Aunt Wu plopped herself down with a long and tired sigh.

"So what do you want to know?" She asked.

"Well, first off, I wanted to know if he'll be tall, handsome, kind, and has a nice smile." Katara asked. Aunt Wu just stared at her as she took Katara's palm in hers.

"He will be very kind and will bring joy to all." Aunt Wu said, focusing on Katara's opened palm. Katara held her breath in excitement.

"He will also be tall, very handsome, strong, and very powerful." Aunt Wu said, squinting her eyes at Katara's palm. Katara held back a joyful squeal.

"You have quite a man on your hands...literally!" Aunt Wu said, looking up and smiling at Katara.

"That's amazing! So do you know how many kids we're going to have?" Katara asked, blushing. Aunt Wu looked down at Katara's palm once again.

"You will have three children—one non-bender and two benders. He will be a caring father and will love you unconditionally," Aunt Wu stated. Katara was trying to contain her excitement.

"Will he have a good sense of humor? Oh! And will he get along with my brother? I know Sokka won't like _any _guy I'm with." Katara irritably said, rolling her eyes. "Oh! And also…will he be a good kisser?" Katara quietly asked, blushing hard. Aunt Wu tried to read Katara's hand faster to keep up with her questions.

"Yes, he will have a very good sense of humor and he and your brother will be very good friends." Aunt Wu replied. "…and yes…he will be a very good kisser…" Aunt Wu said, laughing.

"Wow." Katara sighed dreamily.

"…Is there…anything else?" Aunt Wu asked, tiredly.

"Um..yes…Do you know specifically what kind of bender he is?" Katara asked the old woman. Aunt Wu focused on Katara's hands again.

"Because I thought he'd be a waterbe-"

"Shh!" Aunt Wu silenced the young girl as she resumed reading her hand. Several moments passed in silence as Aunt Wu fixed her gaze on the girl's hand.

"This is much more difficult than it should be. I cannot find a specific element that your husband will bend." Aunt Wu said, bringing Katara's hand forward for a better look. Several more moments passed in silence before Aunt Wu released Katara's hand.

"He will be a waterbender." Aunt Wu firmly stated.

"REALLY!" Katara was bouncing up and down in excitement.

"No wait…and earthbender." Aunt Wu said, looking at Katara's palm.

"Really?" Katara asked, confused.

"No wait! A firebender!" Aunt Wu stated once again.

"…what?" A baffled Katara asked.

"Oh I give up. This is too difficult. Your palm also says an airbender but that's impossible. I probably just need some rest to revive my fortunetelling skills," Aunt Wu said, stretching her arms. Katara just looked down at her palm.

"Who knows…maybe your husband might be the Avatar." Aunt Wu said, jokingly. Katara just looked at her, bewildered.

"Don't worry about it. My old eyes are probably just playing tricks on me. So do you need anything else?" She asked.

"_The avatar?" _ Katara thought, confused.

"Do you know how I'm going to die?" Katara asked, politely offering her hand once again. Aunt Wu just stared at her again while taking her palm.

"You will have your third great grandchild before passing away in your sleep," She irritably said to Katara.

"Wow." Katara gripped her hand and sighed in amazement before getting up to leave.

"Oh there's one more thing…how warmly should I dress tomorrow?" Katara stopped herself to ask the old woman.

"You want me to do a reading for _that?" _ Aunt Wu asked annoyed.

Katara just idiotically nodded.

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><p><strong>I know that Aang wasn't directly in here, but it was indirect Kataang nonetheless. :P<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry I didn't update in a long time! I was too busy after the end of spring break. :( As an apology, I present to you my favorite chapter yet. **

**This chapter is on Katara and Aang's first date. It's based on the song "Today was a Fairytale" by Taylor Swift.**

**Thank you for the reviews and the favoriting of this story and whatnot. :)**

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><p>Aang's hands were sweaty—like…..<em>really <em>sweaty. So sweaty that he had to repeatedly keep wiping his palms on the side of his air nomad styled baggy pants. He was also having trouble calming his breathing.

It had been three weeks since the war ended and he was constantly kept busy with avatar duties—making sure the world was happy and safe…at least for the moment. He was instructed to attend every meeting with leaders of each nation to discuss how to keep the world running. He had been so occupied with all of these responsibilities that he had no time for himself. This was proven when he came home late at night, barely able to eat anything or keep his eyes open, and forgetting to shave his head every once in a while.

Despite being on the verge of exploding with fatigue, there had been one particular water tribe girl who had constantly been supporting him throughout all of this. She would stay up late, waiting at their new house given to them after the war in Ba Sing Se, where they were all staying, for him. She would cook all of his favorite meals whenever he felt depressed and softly urged him to eat when he was too tired. She would comfort him whenever he felt angry, sad, lonely, or confused and made sure he went to bed warm and snug, covering him in a soft blanket and placing a light kiss on his forehead before quietly creeping out of the room so as to not wake the overworked avatar.

Aang noticed all that she was doing for him and felt guilty about not giving it back. Therefore, he decided to use the one miraculous free day he had for them to be together…just the two. He already had everything they were going to do planned out.

"_It'll be like a date," _Aang had thought earlier. Unfortunately, he later realized he'd have to _ask _her out on this date for them to go and he had never really asked a girl out before.

Now, there he was, dumbly standing outside of the closed door his girlfriend's bedroom. He was nervously standing there, awkwardly wiping his hands on his pants and working up the nerve to knock on the door and ask the girl of his dreams out on a date.

"_Come on, Aang! It can't be THAT hard! You're the avatar! You defeated Fire Lord Ozai and saved the world! How much harder can asking her out be?" _He thought to himself. He paused and thought again, "_very hard." _

Just when he gathered enough courage to knock on the door, the door suddenly swung open to reveal a young, dark-skinned water tribe beauty. She almost crashed into awkward boy standing in front of her bedroom door.

"Aang! You scared me! What are you doing here?" She asked, surprised.

"Oh…hi, Katara….I was just…um…ah…well…" Aang stammered as Katara raised an eyebrow.

"Were you going to tell me something?" She tried to help the nervous boy.

"Yes, I was. I was going to…um…ask if…i-if y-you…wanted t-to g-go out on a date…" He paused, his gaze firmly fixed at his feet, "with me?"

There was only a moment of silence before he was being tackled in a hug.

"Yes, I would love to go with you! Why were you so nervous? It's only me, Aang." Katara joyfully said, still hugging the surprised boy.

"Ahh…yeah…I knew that…but you're still…you. You still make me nervous…" Aang truthfully told her.

"Well, stop being nervous and let's go!" Katara giggled, taking his hand while running down the hall.

Katara and Aang passed the gang eating dinner as they headed towards the door. They noticed the obvious two young lovers sneaking out.

"Aren't you guys going to join us for dinner?" Suki asked, curiously.

"Nope." Katara simply said.

"Hold on…where are you two going?" Sokka suspiciously asked, taking a possum-chicken drumstick out of his mouth.

"We're going out on a date," Katara happily said. Sokka's eyes widened.

"A DATE! NO No no no no no no… you two are NOT going out alone and unsupervised!" Sokka yelled, jumping up.

"Why not?" Katara asked, crossing her arms with clear irritation in her voice, although she was holding back anger for her immature brother.

"Why not! Who KNOWS what you two will do alone!" Sokka yelled, motioning both hands (one still holding the drumstick) toward Aang and Katara, whose faces suddenly turned tomato-red.

"Ok…first of all…you are the biggest hypocrite EVER! Second…we aren't little kids, Sokka! We don't need supervision and we aren't going to do anything! And third…it's our first date EVER! Can't you give us a break…just for once?" Katara pleaded. Sokka looked them on, questioningly.

"Come on, Sokka. Aang's the avatar. They'll be safe." Suki convinced him.

"Yeah, Snoozles. And you don't have to worry about the OTHER kind of stuff until they are _much _older." Toph teasingly grinned. Katara and Aang's faces turned red once again.

"Okay, fine. You can go." Sokka surrendered. Katara let out a small squeal and hugged her brother. Then, she took Aang's hand and began walking out the door.

"Oh and don't worry! We'll be back by midnight!" Katara smiled. Sokka spit out his drumstick.

"MIDNIG-"Aang and Katara giggled as they heard Sokka yelling at them inside their house. Katara knew midnight was way too late, but she just wanted to mess with her brother.

"So. Where to first?" She asked Aang as they began walking. They could just see the tip of the sun setting in the horizon.

"Well, I found this cool restaurant that you might like." Aang explained.

"Really? What's it called?" Katara eagerly asked.

"It's a surprise." Aang smiled. Katara wrapped her arms around his.

"Okay, then." She said, smiling.

They walked for about twenty minutes through the bustling streets of Ba Sing Se lit by street lamps until they reached a small, two-story house sized building. Its front doors were intricately designed with flowing blue patterns of waves. There were two fancy street lamps placed on either side of the building and many pots of beautiful flowers surrounded the restaurant. It was lit up brilliantly on the inside and out.

"Wow" Katara breathed, taking in the beauty of a simple restaurant.

"Wait til you try the food," Aang said, smiling. He took her hand and led her inside.

Katara gasped as she took in the sight upon entering. The whole restaurant floor was covered in a deep blue rug with the same patterns on the door. There were waiters dressed up in fancy clothes and were delivering heaping plates of food to hungry customers. The whole place was lit up with candles in every corner. It gave Katara a sense of comfy-ness.

They approached a podium with a dark-skinned man dressed up in earth kingdom robes behind it.

"Hello," Aang said.

"Good evening, young ones. How may I help—why, I bet you're the avatar, aren't you?" The surprised man said, taking a closer look at Aang.

"Yes, yes I am. May we have a table for two, please?" Aang asked, politely.

"Of course. Please, come this way, Avatar Aang." The man said, leading them to a small table with two chairs facing each other. There was a flower in a thin, crystal vase and a small candle in a cup on the dark wood table. Aang and Katara took their seats as their menu was laid out in front of them.

"Aang, this amazing!" Katara said, excitedly.

"Look at the menu," He told her. Katara looked down and read the thin paper. When she was half done with reading the paper, she came to a realization.

"These are all water tribe foods! This is a water tribe restaurant!" Katara exclaimed. Aang smiled and nodded.

"I found this place a while ago and I thought I'd take you, but I was too busy," He explained, slightly looking down.

"It's not your fault you were too busy. We're here now and I love this place!" Katara exclaimed, but paused.

"Aang, what will you eat?" She asked.

"Probably the seaweed salad or something," He said, knowing that the majority of water tribe meals consisted of meat. He hadn't really given that much thought on what he would eat; he just wanted to show Katara this place.

"Aw. You didn't have to come here just for me, Aang," Katara said, feeling somewhat guilty.

"No, but I wanted to," He smiled. Just then, a waiter came up to their table.

"Hello, Avatar Aang and his guest. What will you be having this evening?" He asked.

"I'll have the seaweed salad," Aang decided.

"And I'll have the stewed sea prunes." Katara told him.

"Very well," The waiter said before taking the menu, bowing, then leaving.

"This is great! Oh, I think we have company," Katara said, looking across Aang's shoulder.

"What? Who is it?" Aang asked, turning around.

"Fangirl," Katara said, squinting her eyes. Aang quickly turned around to face Katara after seeing a young girl, about the same age as Katara. She had light brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and a simple earth kingdom outfit and was approaching the table.

"Hi…um…are you Avatar Aang?" She shyly asked.

"I…think so." Aang joked.

"OHMYSPIRITS! I AM YOUR BIGGEST FAN! CAN I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH?" The girl burst out, surprising the living daylights out of Katara and Aang.

"Um….sure…" Aang asked, scared. He signed the small piece of parchment and gave it to her.

"Thank you sooooo so so so much! By the way, do you have a girlfriend!" She asked, jumping up and down.

Katara face-palmed herself.

"Uhh….yes….yes I do." Aang said, uncertainly looking at Katara. He was _trying _to give the girl a hint that his girlfriend was right with them, but she took no notice.

"Oh. Okay then, bye." The girl said, waving and then leaving.

"…sorry…" Aang quietly said.

"Nah, it's okay. It's just kind of stupid how some girls have no idea that if the Avatar is having dinner alone with a girl that she might just be his girlfriend…but that's just me." Katara pointed out.

"Yeah…this is what we get for going out in public." He said, looking down.

"No, it's okay! I really don't mind." Katara told him, placing her hand on his. He quickly looked up.

"You don't?"

"No. It's not like you'd run off with the next fangirl who asks you out…right?" She asked him.

"No! Of course not!" He firmly told her, appalled at the idea.

"Good." Katara sat back, satisfied. Just then, the waiter approached them and set their meals on the table.

"Enjoy your meal," The waiter said, bowing and then leaving. Katara and Aang then started devouring their food.

"This is too good. It reminds me of home." Katara said smiling while eating. Aang smiled back.

Aang and Katara quickly finish their meals, pay for the food (even though the manager said that the Avatar didn't need to do such a thing), and headed out.

"That was amazing! I can't wait to tell Sokka!" Katara said, wrapping her arms around his own while walking.

"We're not going home just yet. I want to show you something." Aang smiled endearingly. Katara raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?" She asked. Aang shook his head.

"It's a surprise." He said, mischievously.

"Ugh…what is it with you and surprises?" Katara groaned.

"You don't like my surprises?" Aang scrunched his eyebrows, looking hurt. Katara's eyes widened.

"No no no no! I didn't mean it like that! I LOVE your surprises! I was just saying how you make me wait for everything without giving me a clue, that's all." She comforted him. Aang seemed to relax.

"And are the surprises worth it?" He asked.

"Yes…and can we stop saying 'surprises'?" She smiled. Aang laughed and nodded as they continued walking. After a while, they approached a dark alley.

"We're here." Aang said.

"Here?" Katara was confused.

"Yes, now close your eyes." Aang softly instructed her.

"Okaayy…" Katara said, unsurely while closing her eyes. Aang delicately took her hand and led her somewhere. Katara couldn't take it. She opened one eye. All she could see is darkness. Aang turned around and saw her before she quickly shut her eye.

"Katara! Don't peek!" He scolded.

"Okay okay! I'm sorry." Katara said, laughing. She waited impatiently for a few more seconds until she heard Aang's voice again.

"Okay. You can open them now." He whispered. She slowly lifted her eyelids.

Katara gasped.

Before her was one of the most beautiful things she'd ever seen. It was a large fountain with intricate designs on every centimeter of the engraved stone. The beautiful heart of the fountain spewed out crystal clear water in sparkling droplets in a perfect circular shape around itself. In the fountain were small floating candles in cups, drifting along the water. Brilliantly lit streetlamps surrounded the whole place and made everything come to life.

"Well….what do you think?" Aang asked eagerly while watching Katara stare all around her.

"I-It's…beautiful!" She managed to say with her mouth hanging open. Aang smiled.

"H-how…did you find…this place?" She asked, walking nearer to the fountain and gazed at the flowing water.

"Zuko told me. It's called the Firelight Fountain; the only one in Ba Sing Se. They light it up very rarely… only on nights like these." Aang informed her, smiling.

"Wow…" She said, still obviously mind-blown.

"I take it that you like it?" Aang asked. Katara just nodded.

"This is amazing! Thank you, Aang." Katara said, hugging him tightly.

"You don't have to thank me. It was nothing." He said, wrapping his arms around her. Katara pulled back.

"Nothing? Nothing! Aang, this was one of the most special nights of my life!" Katara exclaimed, motioning all around her.

"All it took was some food and a fountain," Aang humbly laughed, scratching the back of his neck.

"No. It was you who made it the most special." Katara softly said, lightly kissing him on the lips. When she pulled back, Aang was as red as a tomato.

"Spirits, Aang! You still blush that hard?" Katara said, laughing. Aang snapped back to reality.

"I'm sorry! I can't help it! Like I said before…you still make me nervous….you're the only one who makes me feel this way." Aang confessed, looking at his feet, still blushing. Katara waited a moment before pulling him into an embrace.

"You do too," Katara spoke softly. The young ones stayed there, still in an embrace, just longing to be with each other.

"I love you, Aang." Katara whispered in his embrace with her head tucked in the crook of his neck. Aang heard her barely inaudible voice and widened his eyes. He never heard her say that to him before. Ever since he laid his eyes upon her from the ice berg, he wanted nothing more than to hear her say that to him—and she finally said it. Could it really be happening? But why would she love him? He's a goofy kid who likes to go penguin sledding. What made her fall in love with him? But then again….what made him fall in love with her?

Aang let out a deep sigh that was undefinable. Katara was getting worried. He didn't say anything back. Maybe she pushed the boundaries too far? After all, they were just teenagers… could it have gotten to Katara's head that her strong feelings for Aang were true love? Was their love even true? Or was it nothing more than blushing and dating? Was there love _real? _

Then, she flashbacked to everything she had gone through with Aang…the way he had given her hope ever since he returned…the way that she realized how much her life would have ended if his did too…the realization of the fact that she give her life for him.

"_It's real." _She thought as she pulled out of Aang's embrace. She searched Aang's eyes for a reply to her deep confession. He simply focused his unreadable eyes on the ground, not giving Katara any clue.

"_Maybe he doesn't feel the same way." _She thought, even though it deeply cut her heart. She knew that this could not have been true…but why wasn't he saying _anything? _

Aang noticed Katara's eyes searching his own, and then falling. He couldn't describe his feelings at this moment, but if he didn't speak up soon, Katara might think that he didn't care the same way…but he _did…_he undoubtedly did.

Katara sadly took a step away from Aang to make sure he had enough space. He definitely needed it after her life-changing confession. He looked unsure and uncertain with his glancing eyes. First, he focused on his feet, then on her, but quickly flickered away to see the fountain. Katara was almost about to take another back, but he reached out and firmly took her hands in his, pulling her towards him.

"I love you, too, Katara. More than anything in the world." He firmly stated, looking at her straight in the eye.

Katara's eyes welled up in tears as he pulled her into him, placing a deep, long, and lingering kiss on her soft lips. She pulled in and wrapped her arms around him as close as possible. Both young lovers clung on to each other as if they were never to let go. Holding onto each other, they presented the fact that, even to the Spirits, that they were inseparable...

Their love, unbreakable.

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><p><strong>This chapter warmed my heart. I made it extra fluffy. :D<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for the reviews, guys!**

**Chapter 6!**

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><p>Katara looked around the large table, where the whole gang was gathered, eating dinner. Zuko had invited everyone to the palace for a special dinner as a get-together, considering the fact that they haven't talked in a long time because everyone was so busy. Sokka was scarfing down food while everyone else was joyfully talking. She looked to her left to see her new husband, Aang, (married for three months), laugh along playfully as Toph made a sarcastic remark about Sokka. However, while the older gang was engaged in their own conversation, Katara wasn't paying attention.<p>

She didn't feel all that well. She hadn't even touched her heaping plate of food set in front of her on the table and was repeatedly getting painful headaches. She knew she had been feeling this way for several days, but wouldn't tell anyone. Suddenly, a harsh, horrible, churning feeling erupted from the pit of her stomach.

"Will you excuse me as I use the restroom?" Katara abruptly, standing up.

"Yeah, sure. It's right down that hall, the first door on your right." Zuko helpfully said. Katara nodded in thanks before rushing out of the room. As she rushed into the restroom, she shut the door, ran to the sink, and let everything out.

When she was done, she slowly tilted her head upwards to observe her twenty-four year old face in the mirror. She was paler than usual, with small strands of hair falling in front of her face. She looked so tired and weak, with a frown plastered on her face.

"_What's wrong with me?" _She asked herself, thinking back to try to remember what caused her to fall sick. She hadn't been in very cold weather and she hadn't eaten anything unusual. What could it be?

"_Maybe I'm just sick." _She told herself as she continued observing her pale face in the mirror. Then, it hit her—the headaches, the nausea, the loss of appetite, the morning sickness she had been experiencing, the puking in the bathroom…

"_I'm pregnant." _She thought to herself, looking at the shocked face in the mirror. Her eyes traveled down to her stomach and she placed her hands gently at the spot. It felt different.

"_No. Maybe I'm just overreacting. I can't be pregnant!" _Katara tried to convince herself. Then, she realized that she had skipped both menstrual cycles for the last two months.

Within a few seconds, Katara was pacing around the bathroom.

"_How am I going to tell Aang? What will he say? What about Sokka? I'll be in so much trouble!" _ She nervously thought. Then, she stopped and firmly looked at herself in the mirror.

"_Why am I dreading this? I should be enjoying it. I have a gift now—a child. My first child! It isn't my fault I got pregnant. Aang and I thought about this before." _ Katara convinced herself. Then, she began worrying about when and where she'll have to announce the news.

"_I'll just tell them here." _She thought. What better time than all of your friends together at one place to announce big news? Katara nodded to herself in the mirror, took in a deep breath, and exited the bathroom. She cautiously made her way down the hall until she heard sounds of laughter coming from the end of the corridor. When she entered the large dining room with her friends, Sokka welcomed her.

"Hey Katara! You've been gone a long time! We were just served dessert and it is awesome!" Sokka exclaimed before digging in. Katara just smiled nervously before making her way to her seat. She took a slow and deep breath quietly, but Aang noticed.

"Are you okay, Katara? You look a little pale." Aang said with a worried face.

"No, it's okay. I'm fine." She said, giving him a reassuring smile, even though she wasn't all that okay. Just then, another round of desserts came in.

"OH BOY!" Sokka exclaimed enthusiastically as he began digging in. As everyone devoured their food, Katara's eyes glanced around the room.

"_How in the world am I going to tell them? What is this is just fake pregnancy_?" She nervously thought before her eyes rested on Suki. Katara paused a moment before getting up once again. She stopped by Suki's ear and whispered softly.

"Suki, can I speak to you for one moment?" Katara asked before turning around and heading towards the corridor. Suki had a puzzled look but excused herself politely before following Katara down the hall. They turned the corner and reached a spot where they couldn't be seen or heard. Then, Katara nervously turned around to face Suki.

"What's wrong, Katara? You've been acting strange." Suki pointed out. Katara groaned.

"Is it _that _noticeable?" She asked. Suki nodded.

"So what's the matter?" Suki asked. Katara's eyes focused on her feet.

"Well…I-um…I think…I-I….well…I just—I….um…" Katara stammered.

"What is it?" Suki asked again. Katara turned her gaze towards Suki.

"I-I…think I'm pregnant." Katara blurted out. Suki was silent, eyes widened, jaw dropped open. After a while, she began to speak.

"Are you sure?" She quietly asked.

"Well…I don't know…I have all of the signs…" Katara said, scratching the back of her neck.

"How far along do you think you are?" Suki slowly asked. Katara shrugged.

"I don't know…two…maybe three months?" She replied. Suki's eyes traveled down to Katara's stomach.

"It's different. It's definitely bigger, but it's not enough to show." Suki pointed out. Katara nodded.

"So….does that mean…"

"Yes- You are pregnant. Congratulations!" Suki broke into a huge smile. Katara broke into a smile of her own as the two friends embraced each other.

"So…how do I tell everyone?" Katara nervously asked, pulling back.

"Just tell them here. I want to see everyone's reactions." Suki smiled. Katara nodded and smiled back. Then, the two friends turned around and made their way back to the table. As Katara took her seat, Sokka gazed at her questioningly.

"What have you two been doing? And why do you keep running off?" Sokka asked. Katara gulped.

"Well…I'll tell you." Katara answered as she noticed everyone's confused gaze fixed on her. Katara felt her heart beat faster and her sweaty palms beginning to shake. She leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath.

"I'm pregnant." She firmly said.

Silence.

It was as if a knife tore through everyone's mind and just stopped time. She took in everyone's reactions—Zuko's, Toph's, and Mai's mouth were hung open while Suki was beaming. She turned her head to fix her eyes on Aang.

He was frozen midway of putting the spoon in his open mouth. His widened eyes were glued to the tablecloth. After a few seconds, he slowly placed the spoon down on the table and sat back in his chair. He simply and slowly closed his eyes and inhaled a long, slow, deep breath. He turned his head and fixed his eyes on Katara's. He opened his mouth. Just when he was about to say something, they heard a loud sound from the opposite end of the circular table.

CRASH!

Sokka must've dropped his glass on the table, which was now in pieces. His chair was tipped over and was now lying on the ground on its side. He, too, had fallen on the ground with the chair and had fainted.

"Sokka!" Suki shouted as everyone abruptly got up to help him.

Within a few seconds, everyone had picked him up, carried his unconscious body to a comfortable sofa, and laid him there, waited for him to regain consciousness.

Katara guiltily watched on as she saw Suki fanning her husband on the couch. Suki caught Katara's expression.

"Don't worry. It's not your fault. I expected he'd do this." Suki smiled as if it was no big deal. Katara just nodded as she turned around. Zuko was ordering maids to bring wet wash cloths for Sokka while Mai was standing beside him and Toph was picking her nose. Then, she noticed Aang frantically pacing around the room with his hands placed on his head as if the world was ending. She slowly walked up to him so she would not startle him.

"Oh my spirits…she's pregnant….what am I going to do? What does this mean? A child? What if I'm not ready…AH! Katara!" Aang was surprised when she put her hands on his shoulders to stop his frantic pacing.

"Aang, calm down." She softly said as she watched her husband's nervous eyes fix on her own.

"Calm down? I can't calm down! You're pregnant, Katara. PREGNANT!" He nervously blurted. Katara sighed. She knew this would happen.

"A-are you sure?" Aang slowly asked with his eyebrows knitted together. Katara smiled at him.

"Yes." She said. Aang sucked in a deep breath.

"A-and…am I the father?" He innocently asked. Katara tried to keep herself from laughing. He was so worried he couldn't think straight. Katara smiled jokingly.

"No…no I don't think you are." She told him seriously. Aang's eyes widened.

"WHAT! I'm not! W-well, then who is?" He cried with desperation in his eyes. Katara tightened her grip on his shoulders.

"Calm down, Aang! Yes, you are the father!" She told him, laughing. This seemed to calm him down.

"Okay." He said, relieved. Katara chuckled. She noticed his eyes glance to Sokka's motionless body.

"AH! WHAT ABOUT SOKKA? He's going to kill me!" Aang cried, throwing his hands in the air.

"He's not going to kill you…and CALM DOWN!" She instructed him for the millionth time. Aang closed his eyes and breathed deeply through his nose.

"I'm sorry. I'm just so surprised. I've never been a father before." Aang explained.

"Yes, I know. I am too. But you're happy about this, right?" Katara asked him. He paused for a moment. Then, he broke out into a huge grin.

"Happy? I'M ESTATIC! Katara! I'm going to be a daddy! I can't believe it!" Aang exclaimed, hugging Katara fiercely while picking her up a foot above the ground.

"A-Aang!" Katara let out before Aang released her and placed her on the ground. Then, he took her hands in his.

"How much longer?" He asked, searching her eyes.

"We have to wait around six more months." Katara said, placing her palm on her stomach. Aang nodded.

"That's enough time to get ready. S-so in six months…we're going to be parents?" He softly asked her, his mind still not wrapped around the idea.

"Yes." She smiled. Aang broke out into a huge grin again and pulled her into a warm embrace. Katara happily sighed. She realized how grateful she was for such a loving husband and a new family on its way. Just when she thought that nothing could possibly ruin this moment, Sokka stirred and woke up.

"Uhhh….where am I? What happened?" Sokka groggily asked, regaining consciousness. He sat up straight on the couch and looked around, rubbing his forehead with his hand.

"Here. Can you stand up?" Suki asked as she helped Sokka off the couch.

"I'm fine, but what happened?" He questioned as he stood up, still rubbing his forehead.

"You fainted because Katara said she's pregnant." Toph bluntly told him. Sokka's eyes widened. He dropped his hand from his forehead and shifted his gaze towards Katara.

"A-are you…really?" He quietly asked, mouth hung open. Katara nodded and smiled. Then, he shifted his gaze towards Aang and dangerously narrowed his eyes.

"Uh-oh." Aang realized, widening his eyes. He took off with a head start before Sokka started running after him.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU! YOU GOT MY SISTER PREGNANT!" He yelled, jumping over the couch and chasing Aang around the large hall while dodging tables and chairs.

"He _does _realize that he's going to be an uncle, right?" Suki asked, laughing. Katara laughed along.

"I don't think he will for some time. First, he has to get over the shock that Aang and I-"

"Did some stuff?" Toph asked, grinning.

"Yes." Katara laughed. Everybody watched on amusedly as Aang airbended himself over furniture while Sokka uselessly tried to catch the young Avatar.

Katara couldn't help but laugh along as she took in the sight of her family and think about her upcoming new family, preparing herself for the miracle that is to come.

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><p><strong>:D<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for such a late update! I was too busy with school projects and stuff. :( I also had a writers' block during this chapter.**

**Thank you guys for the awesomest reviews EVER!**

**I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.**

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><p>Aang carved out the finishing piece on his betrothal necklace. He placed the wooden carving tool on the table and picked up the shining stone. It was a perfectly circular cerulean blue water tribe stone with long engraving marks on it. In the center, there was an engraving of the air nomad emblem—three swirls. Surrounding the symbol of the air nation were engravings of water—swirling and surrounding the air nomad emblem in the most beautiful pattern. The pendant was hooked onto a silk gold ribbon that was to be worn at the neck. On the left side of the ribbon were stitches of waves running through the soft fabric in deep blue. On the right side, there were repeating air swirls in a sparkling silver color.<p>

Aang sighed in completion. He was proud of his work. It took him two months to do it all. He picked up the delicate necklace and blew on it to get rid of any lingering dust and polished it with a rag until it glowed. Then, he gently placed the necklace in the drawer of the table and shut it.

"_Okay. The easy part is finished." _Aang thought to himself, sighing. He knew that this was only the first step to asking the most life-changing question ever. He only had one girl in mind and he definitely knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. She completed him.

"_I'm going to ask Katara to marry me." _Aang thought to himself, trying to make himself sure of what he was doing. He closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath before hearing someone knock on his bedroom door.

"_But I need to get some people's permission first." _He dreadfully thought as he opened the door to reveal a young water tribe warrior.

"Hi, Aang. You wanted to talk to me?" Sokka said, allowing himself in and plopping himself down on Aang's bed.

"Uhh…yea. I wanted to ask you something." Aang nervously said, twiddling his fingers.

"Sure. What is it?" Sokka asked.

"I….uh….well…as you know, Katara and I have been together for some time now." Aang anxiously started off.

"Ugh…tell me about it." Sokka groaned. Aang gulped.

"Well…I was kind of…thinking…that I…um…wanted to…um…." Aang stammered as he shut his eyes.

"Just say it, Aang!" Sokka said, impatiently. Aang took in another breath as he tried to calm his beating heart.

"I want to ask Katara to marry me…" Aang said, not looking Sokka in the eye. There was no response.

"…And I wanted your permission first." Aang finished. He slowly turned his gaze towards Sokka. His mouth was hung as far open as humanly possible. After a few moments of silence, Aang spoke up.

"Sokka?" He asked, snapping the astonished boy out of his trance.

"Oh..um…yeah…." Sokka said, shutting his mouth and scratching his head.

"So…" Aang said, waiting.

"Well…what would you do if I said no?" Sokka asked, scratching his chin and squinting his eyes to see how the young avatar would react. Aang raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean what would I do?" He asked.

"If I don't give you permission, will you go ahead and ask for my sister's hand in marriage anyway?" Sokka questioned, standing up. Aang was taken aback by this fact.

"Um…I don't know…" Aang said, confused.

"Just say yes or no. Does my decision affect whether you'll marry Katara or not?" Sokka repeated, now circling the avatar. Aang thought for a moment.

"No. No it doesn't." He told him. Sokka stopped walking.

"Then why ask me?" Sokka questioned. Aang stared at him.

"Because it seems like the proper thing to do." Aang pointed out.

"Well…are you marrying me or my sister?" Sokka asked, grinning.

"…well I want to marry your sister…" Aang said, scratching his head.

"Then why do you ask me for permission? If I say no, you'll just go ahead anyway. Why am I important in this if you'll ignore my decision either way?" Sokka asked, mercilessly questioning the confused avatar.

"Because you're her brother." Aang attempted, but Sokka shook his head.

"Like you said before, you're marrying Katara, not me. So why ask me?" Sokka asked again, sitting down the bed, waiting for a decent answer. Aang thought for a moment, analyzing everything Sokka was asking him. He knew he was an overly protective brother and must have some test in determining who was worthy enough to marry his sister. Then, it hit him.

"Well…because when or if I marry her, you'll still be her brother. Not only that, you'll be my brother, too. You and Katara will my family…a _real _family. I'm sorry if your decision doesn't matter now when I ask for Katara's hand in marriage, but it will matter later. I need your approval. I can't live being married to Katara knowing that my brother doesn't approve of us…of _me. _You're decision matters as much as anyone else later on whenever you feel like considering me as your brother, too." Aang finished.

He searched Sokka's face for an answer. Sokka merely closed his eyes and nodded as if he were impressed. Then he stood up and clapped Aang on the back.

"Good job, buddy. Took you a bit longer to get it than I thought it would. It was a little over-the-top, but it was good. Good luck asking Katara." Sokka said, smiling. Aang widened his eyes.

"Y-you mean…"

"Yes." Sokka nodded. "You have my permission". Aang felt giddiness build up inside of him.

"YES!" He said, jumping up in the air. Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"I-I mean…thank you." Aang calmly said, bowing.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Hey, call down one of the servants, would you? I need them to make lunch. I'm starving!" Sokka merely said, waving his hand while making his way towards the door. As soon as he left, Aang airbended himself up in excitement.

"YES! I DID IT! WOOH! OWWW!" He said, dropping to ground before realizing he had hit his head on the ceiling.

"I have to be more careful when I do that." Aang reminded himself, rubbing his head. He airbended himself up off the ground and took in a deep breath.

"_Now for part 2." _The twenty-two year old nervously said, making his way out the door.

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><p>The 9th anniversary party of the Hundred Years' War's end was being held at the Earth King's palace in Ba Sing Se. Therefore, everyone was visiting for the time being to get ready for the party which was in a week. This was a perfect opportunity for Aang, considering the fact that some of the Southern Water Tribe members were visiting, including Chief Hakoda….a.k.a Katara's father. The young avatar will have to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage before he asks Katara at the party, assuming that Hakoda says yes.<p>

After leaving his bedroom for the time-being at the Earth King's Palace, Aang made his way down the staircase and entered the huge room that was being used as the party hall in the palace. The sheer height of the room was longer than three Appas put together from nose to tail and the dome-like ceiling added to the vastness. Aang noticed the servants setting up tables and decorations while others cleaned the whole place. He looked around the hall until his gazed fixed on the person he was looking for. Hakoda was talking with King Kuei and some water tribe members. Aang took a deep breath before swiftly making his way over to them.

"Good afternoon, King Kuei," Aang bowed, interrupting their discussion. Then, he turned to the water tribe warrior. "Chief Hakoda," Aang said, giving him a traditional water tribe handshake. Aang couldn't help but notice how he and Hakoda stood at eye level as the chief smiled at him.

"Ah, what a pleasure! Good afternoon, Avatar Aang. We were just discussing public matters. Would you care to join us?" King Kuei happily invited.

"Oh, no thank you. I have to get going, but I just wanted a word with Hakoda." Aang said, politely.

"Of course." Hakoda nodded, following Aang out of the back door which led to a secluded garden outside. After they were outside and alone, Hakoda turned to Aang.

"So, Aang. What is it that you wanted to talk about?" Hakoda asked. Aang took in a deep breath.

"Um…I wanted to ask you something…" Aang uncertainly said. Hakoda raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?" He curiously asked. Aang could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest. He was more nervous with Hakoda than with Sokka.

"Um…well…as you know, Katara and I have been together for some time now…" Aang started off, once again, not directly looking into Hakoda's eyes. Hakoda listened on intently.

"…And I just wanted you to know that I really like her…" Aang shut his eyes. "I mean….I-I love her…" He confessed. He shifted his gaze to the flowers beside his feet.

"…And I want to ask for her hand in marriage, but not without your permission first." Aang finished. He shifted his gaze slowly towards Hakoda's. He was clearly examining the young avatar. There were a few moments of silence.

"Out of all the men asking for my daughter's hand in marriage, you stood out the most." Hakoda finally spoke up. Aang raised his eyebrow, not knowing if this was good or bad.

"They spoke with much confidence, as if they were certain I would say yes. Not one of them told me that they loved her," Hakoda explained. "…except for you. You were nervous and uncertain, which is alright. I was, too when I was asking Kanna. She was a strict woman, but I loved her daughter. That gave me away." Hakoda said, chuckling.

"…So other guys asked for Katara's hand in marriage when she was with me the whole time?" Aang blurted the question out. Hakoda nodded.

"Some were unaware that you two were even together. Others were too proud. They believed that they could steal her away from the avatar as long as they get the okay from me, as if neither she nor you had a say in this." Hakoda explained. "Katara never wanted to tell you because she considered them as just 'fanboys'. I did, too." Hakoda laughed. Aang simply nodded.

"Anyway…I know that it is not pleasant for you to talk about other men asking for Katara's hand in marriage, but I just wanted you to know that I think of you as my son, Aang." Hakoda said, endearingly placing his hand on Aang's shoulder. "And I can't wait to call you my son-in-law." Hakoda smiled as Aang's eyes widened.

"Aang, do you love my daughter?" Hakoda asked. Aang stood up straight with his pounding heart.

"Yes." He firmly said.

"Do you promise to love her no matter what the situations or consequences are?"

"Yes."

"Will you be there for her and your future family?"

"Yes."

"Do you and will you respect her and her boundaries?"

"Yes"

"Will you protect her?"

"Until my dying breath." Aang finished. Hakoda firmly nodded and gave Aang another traditional hand shake.

"Congratulations, Aang. You have my permission." Hakoda announced, smiling. Aang broke into a huge grin.

"Thank you!" Aang ecstatically said.

"No need to thank me. You've earned it...I just have one question, though." Hakoda scratched his chin. Aang waited.

"Did you ask Sokka?"

"Yes."

"Did he ask you that question about the effect of his decision that requires a largely sentimental answer?" Hakoda asked. Aang nodded.

"…And did you pass?"

"Yes." Aang replied. Hakoda laughed.

"I'm impressed. I didn't even understand it when he proposed the idea to me." Hakoda admitted. Aang laughed along.

"Yeah…well, that's Sokka for you." Aang pointed out. A few moments passed as the two men quieted down from their laughing. Hakoda shifted his gaze to his right, where the garden was.

"It's a beautiful garden, isn't it?" Hakoda asked. Aang turned to his left to take in the sight of the garden. There was a pleasant aroma from beautiful flowers varying in size and color planted in the garden. There were small birds flying about and chirping, adding to the true beauty of the nature of this garden.

"Yes, yes it is." Aang replied.

"That reminds me…when are you going to ask Katara?" Hakoda questioned.

"At the party." Aang replied. Hakoda nodded.

"Do you have your betrothal necklace ready?" Hakoda asked.

"Finished and ready for a proposal." Aang smiled. Hakoda chuckled.

"Very well, then. Good luck, son." Hakoda smiled and entered the palace before hearing Aang shout with joy.

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><p>The Avatar was a jittery mess. He hadn't seen Katara all day, probably because she had been out shopping for party clothes with Suki, Toph, and Mai and they were getting ready right now. The party already had people pouring in. Aang was supposed to greet them one by one, but there was no one he really knew. Then, a young man near the appetizer table in royal fire nation clothes caught his eye.<p>

"Zuko!" Aang called out, making his way to him. Zuko turned around from gathering food on his plate.

"Aang! How are you?" The young man asked as he and the avatar bowed to each other out of respect.

"I'm great! I haven't seen you in a while." Aang said, smiling. Zuko nodded.

"Yeah…It's hard being busy with all of this stuff. It seems that we were kids just yesterday. I can't believe it's been nine years since the war's end!" Zuko exclaimed. Aang nodded in agreement. A few moments passed in silence before Zuko spoke up.

"So…I heard that _someone's _going to ask Katara to marry him." Zuko teased as Aang widened his eyes.

"H-how did you know that?" Aang said, looking around.

"Sokka."

"Of course." Aang nodded. Then, he shook his head. "Zuko, I'm _so _nervous! What do I say? What do I do? What if something happens? What if I sound really awkward or scared? What if…..w-what if she says no?" Aang asked, looking down. Zuko put his arm around Aang's shoulders to comfort him.

"I was in the same situation with Mai…and I'm sure Sokka was even worse with Suki." Zuko informed as they began walking around the palace.

"I was so scared of rejection that I began to doubt if I should even ask her in the first place. But like I said to Sokka a long time ago, you can't quit just because you might fail. You can't doubt yourself just because you might get rejected. If you love her, ask her. That's a proposal." Zuko advised Aang. He lifted his arm off of Aang's shoulders as he nodded.

"Okay. Thanks, Zuko…you know…I don't care what other people say about you. I think you're pretty helpful." Aang smiled, nudging him with his elbow. This lit up Zuko's face with a smile, but soon dropped to a frown.

"Hey!" Zuko complained, but then shook his head. "Anyway…remember the number one tip: be confident." Zuko informed the Avatar.

"Confidence. Got it." Aang said, firmly nodding. Then, he widened his eyes as he saw someone across from Zuko's shoulder.

"Ahh! It's her! Zuko, hide me!" Aang cried, stepping behind Zuko and hiding himself from the young water tribe girl that had just entered the hall.

"Remember, Aang. Confidence." Zuko firmly told him before walking away, shaking his head. Aang just stood there, gawking at the beautiful girl before he caught her eye. He widened his eyes as she started making her way to him.

"Okay, Aang. Confidence." Aang muttered to himself as he tried to calm his fiercely pounding heart.

"Hey, Aang!" Katara smiled, causing his heart to race faster. He could feel his face getting warm.

"Oh..uh…h-hey K-Katara. What's….going on?" Aang awkwardly asked.

"Well…nothing. I am just so excited for this party! I can't believe it's been nine years since the end of the war! And almost ten since I met you." She softly said, placing her hand on the avatar's burning cheek. This gesture made him stumble backwards.

"Uh…Aang? Are you…feeling alright?" Katara curiously asked. Aang regained his footing and stood up straight, scratching the back of neck while smiling nervously.

"Uh…yeah! I'm great! Why wouldn't I be great? Today's a special day! N-not that anything else is going to happen to make it even more special. No, absolutely nothing else is going to happen. Just…nothing…" Aang nervously attempted, with his voice trailing off. He noticed that Katara was staring at him as if he had two heads.

"Um…okay. You know…if there's anything wrong, Aang…you can tell me." Katara informed him.

"Wrong? W-why would you think anything's wrong? Nothing's wrong! I'm perfectly alright!" The jittery avatar blurted out. Katara just nodded with widened eyes.

"Uh…okay…I'll be over there if you need me." She slowly said, pointing towards to food table before walking away. Aang sighed in relief. Just then, the horns sounded, signaling the commencing of the party. He walked to the front of the hall, where chairs were arranged in rows. He took his reserved seat in the first row next to his friends'. Suddenly, he realized he was sitting in between Katara and Toph. This was bad because Katara would just make him more nervous, considering the fact that he'd have to propose to her soon and Toph would become suspicious because of the vibrations she'll pick up due to his jitteriness.

Katara smiled at him as he slowly took his seat, followed by Toph. When everyone was seated, King Kuei took his place at the podium in the front.

"Good evening, everyone. We gather here today to celebrate the ninth anniversary of the end of the Hundred Years' War; when Avatar Aang and his friends heroically defeated Fire Lord Ozai and saved the world…" King Kuei's voice disappeared in Aang's mind. He couldn't hear or think about anything else other than how he would propose. His heart's pace picked up and he could swear that he saw Toph raise an eyebrow at him. This went on for a few moments and all Aang could do was take in deep breaths to calm down. Then, he felt his pockets to make sure he had the necklace. When he felt the hard surface underneath the fabric of his pocket, he sighed in relief. Then, he turned to his right to see Katara intently listening to the Earth King. His heart pounded harder just looking at her. Suddenly, he heard a gasp from his left.

"You—Katara—are you going to-you're going to pro—mmghh!" Aang had to cover Toph's mouth before she could yell out anything else. He smiled nervously with his hand on Toph's mouth, who was flailing her arm about when some people turned their heads at him. When the two were no longer being stared at, Aang lifted his hand off of her mouth.

"Don't ever do that again!" Toph whispered, wiping her mouth. Aang just glared at her.

"Toph, be quiet! I don't want Katara to know! By the way, how did you figure it out?" Aang asked. Toph shrugged.

"The vibrations I was picking up from you told me that you were not very calm. Then, when you felt your pockets, you sighed in relief. Then, you looked at Katara, which made the vibrations even stronger. The only thing that made sense to me was that you were planning to give her something that was making you nervous. Then, I realized—you're going to propose!" Toph explained.

"Okay. That was good, I admit. But DON'T TELL KATARA!" Aang whispered.

"Okay. Sorry, Twinkletoes. I have to admit, I didn't think you'd have the guts to ask her now. By the way, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!" Toph angrily whispered.

"Well…I don't know…I think it was because YOU'D TELL KATARA!" Aang sarcastically replied.

"OKAY FINE! Anyway, it's a good idea to propose here. I didn't think you'd come up with something this clever. Well played, Twinkletoes, well played." Toph whispered, nodding in approval. Just then, they heard King Kuei's voice.

"And now for Avatar Aang." King Kuei said, motioning to Aang as everyone rose in applause. Aang face-palmed himself.

"Ahh….I didn't know that I'd have to make a speech!" Aang groaned, getting up.

"Don't worry, Twinkletoes, you'll be fine! And that's not the speech I'm talking about. Oh, and don't worry. I'll be sure to ask _Mrs. _Twinkletoes all about it after you're done." Toph called out back to him, laughing. Aang just turned his head to her and put his finger to his lips, telling her to keep quiet and he went up on the podium. After the clapping died down, he began.

"Thank you, King Kuei and thank you all for coming. However, I wouldn't have made it here without my friends. For me…it all began almost ten years ago, frozen in an ice berg…"

He finished his speech as fast as possible before the Earth King requested everyone to enjoy the food and music set out for the guests. As he stepped down from the podium, he searched the party hall for Katara, but could barely see anyone because of so many people walking this way and that. Suddenly, he spotted a young woman in a sleek water tribe gown made of blue silk and her hair pulled back in a half pony tail. He began making his way towards his target, but random strangers kept making it difficult for him.

"Hello, Avatar Aang. I just wanted to congratulate you and thank you for—" A man had stopped him. Aang, with his eyes still fixed on Katara in the distance, cut him off.

"Yeah, yeah you're welcome. Gotta go." He simply said, patting him on the back and walking off again. He did the same thing to others, replying with a simple _thank you_, or _you're welcome_. At one point, so many people clouded his sight that when he finally pushed through the crowd to get to where Katara was standing, she wasn't there. He did a full turn to find her again, but gave up when there was no sight of her.

"Come on!" He quietly yelled in frustration. Then, he felt someone touch his shoulder.

"AHH!" He screamed in surprise when he turned around. It was Katara.

"Geez, Aang. What's been going on with you lately? Are you okay?" Katara asked, a little frightened.

"Katara! It's you! Finally! I need to talk to you." Aang told her.

"What is it?" She asked, concerned that there was something wrong. Aang took her hand.

"Follow me." He simply told her, guiding her towards the door. On their way out, he spotted Toph, Zuko, and Sokka across the party hall. Sokka was waving and grinning at them while Zuko was smiling and Toph was giving them a thumbs-up.

"What's up with them?" Katara asked. Aang just shrugged as they exited through the door. The door led them outside and into the garden where Aang had talked with Hakoda. The sky was lit with red streaks from the setting sun in the horizon. In contrast to the cool blue of the night, the sunset added a beautiful glow.

The garden was amazing. The sweet scent of the flowers and the rich variety in colors made it impossible to look away.

"Wowww" Katara breathed, her eyes lost in the sky and the garden. Aang led her to a small clearing in the garden with stone tiles lined up as a walkway throughout the garden. He waited for a few moments, letting Katara take in the magnificent sight.

"This place is amazing! Did you bring me out here to show me this?" Katara asked, still wonderstruck. Aang smiled.

"Not exactly. I brought you here for something else, too." Aang said, grinning. His heart picked up speed fast and was now rapidly pounding once again. Katara turned to face him with a curious expression.

"What else?" She curiously asked. Aang delicately took both of her hands in his and gazed deep into her eyes.

"Katara, the last decade with you has been unforgettable. It's been amazing! I am the luckiest guy in the world to have met everyone who has helped me to get to this point—to have met you…" Aang softly spoke, still smiling. He waited for Katara to respond, but she was just lost in his eyes.

"You have changed my life in unbelievable ways and you made me who I am now. All this time, I knew I had loved you more than anything. But now…" Aang paused and sucked in a deep breath to calm his unceasingly beating heart. He observed Katara's face. She had a curious expression on now, not sure where he was going with this. Aang inhaled another deep breath through his nose before continuing.

"Now I know that I will never stop loving you. I know that I would never let you go, no matter what. I would die for you…. I love you, Katara." He managed to get out. He felt his pockets for the necklace. Sure enough, it was there. Katara lost her curious expression and widened her eyes.

"Aang…"

The avatar knelt on his knee and slowly pulled out the glimmering betrothal necklace. As he held it out for her to see, she covered her mouth and he spoke the final words that would change his life, once again, forever.

"Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, will you marry me?" He breathed.

She was crying now, her hands still clasped over her mouth. Even in tears, she was beautiful. Then, she nodded, making his ever beating heart stop.

"Yes." She whispered, lifting her hands off of her mouth. Aang quickly got up from the ground and both lovers fell into a fierce embrace, his hand still holding the necklace. He, too, was crying now, his hands wrapped around her as if to never let go. He still could not comprehend how a love like this could be so strong. After what seemed like forever of crying and hugging, Katara pulled back as Aang showed her the gleaming necklace.

"It's beautiful," she softly said, with tears still streaming down her face. She slowly took off her mothers' necklace before Aang pulled her hair to the side to place his. He carefully placed the cool stone on her skin and hooked it at the back of her neck. When he was done, Katara turned around and kissed him fiercely on the lips. He didn't hesitate to kiss back. After a few seconds, they heard the sound of a door closing.

"Aww did we miss it?" The couple heard Sokka's whiney voice. The two broke apart from their kiss to notice that all of their friends had come outside.

"Congratulations, Mister and Mrs. Twinkletoes. I hope you two will have a very happy life together." Toph sarcastically said. Sokka shook his head.

"No Toph, you got it wrong. It would be to-be Mister and Mrs. Twinkletoes because they're not married yet…but they will be soon! Come here you two!" Sokka exclaimed walking over to the couple and engulfing them in a huge Sokka-hug at the same time.

"Ah—Sokka—you're hurting—us—" Aang managed to say. Sokka let them go to let them breathe. Then, he noticed Aang wiping away tears shed during the proposal from his cheeks.

"What is this? Tears? You are a man now. Men do not cry! I didn't shed a single tear during my proposal." Sokka gloated.

"Sokka, you cried like a baby. More than I did." Suki informed as everyone started laughing. She caught sight of Katara's necklace.

"Ohhh is that your betrothal necklace?" Suki asked.

"Yes." Katara said, laughing.

"Wow! It's beautiful!" Suki exclaimed as Mai and Toph joined in.

"I wish I could see it." Toph pouted.

"Don't worry. You can feel it." Katara stated. Toph carefully placed her fingers on the necklace, running them over the engravings.

"I can't feel much, but I know there are a lot of swirls." Toph said, laughing.

"It looks nice. Good job, Aang. I wish I had a betrothal necklace, but Zuko gave me a huge fire diamond ring instead." Mai sighed.

"Hey! That's the fire nation custom. You should've married a water tribe man instead." Zuko suggested walking up to them.

"Nah, I'm good." Mai smiled.

"Good job, buddy." Sokka said, giving Aang a noogie. "Or should I say future brother-in-law?"

Aang laughed. "Thanks, Sokka."

Just then, the gang heard the clicking of the closing door again.

"Did I miss anything?" Hakoda asked, closing the door and walking up to the group.

"Nothing much. Just Aang's proposal." Sokka told him. Hakoda turned to Katara.

"And did Katara say yes?" Hakoda asked.

"If I didn't, would I be wearing this necklace?" She asked, motioning to the stone necklace.

"Well, I'll say Aang. That's a handsome necklace." Hakoda complimented before turning to Aang.

"I can't believe I have a daughter and another son as well. I am proud to be the avatar's father-in-law." Hakoda stated, bowing. It took all of Aang's will power to not break out into tears in front of the closest real person he had to a father for now. Aang bowed back.

"And I am proud to be your son-in-law and Katara's husband." He said, smiling at Katara.

"Well, we better go back inside and announce to the whole world that the Avatar is getting married!" Toph said as everyone started to make their way inside.

"I just realized that this was going to be the biggest marriage of this century. I can only imagine all of the fuss that is going to happen." Sokka informed, rubbing his temples.

"Hey, what about me and Mai's?" Zuko complained.

"Aang outranks you. Still, there was a lot of fuss going on about yours, too." Sokka said.

"So…Toph…when are _you_ getting married?" Suki asked as everyone laughed.

"Whenever a guy has the guts to ask me." She said, laughing.

Meanwhile, the to-be newlyweds followed far behind, holding hands.

"I love you." Aang said, placing a kiss on Katara's forehead. She sighed in content.

"I love you, too."

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><p><strong>I didn't think chapter would be this long, but it's around the same length as the first one.<strong>

**Once again, sorry for the extremely late update. I know it's been a whole month. I should be updating chapters more frequently now that schools are closing…but I have finals coming up. O_O**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please review! Feel free to request any ideas. I need some. :P**

**~DWG~**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8!**

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><p>"Ahhhh!" The little girl squealed as her father airbended her up in the air. "Higher, Daddy, higher!" She demanded, still screaming with excitement as she was being flipped and twirled over her father's head. The Avatar flushed a bigger gust of wind towards her, sending her higher in the air and erupting the biggest squeal yet.<p>

"Be careful now, you two!" The waterbender called out from the side. The small family was outside in their courtyard where father and daughter were playing and Katara was seated on the stone steps by the door. Aang had initially walked out into the courtyard for his daily training, but Kya insisted that he'd play with her, so he decided on doing both.

"Again!" The girl said, drifting slowly to the ground. Aang chuckled.

"I think that's enough playing around for one day, Kya. Let's go eat dinner." Aang told the little girl, taking her by her hand.

"Okay. Do you promise to play with me again tomorrow, daddy?" She asked, looking up at her father with big, pleading eyes. Aang sighed.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to be busy this whole week." He confessed. Kya pouted.

"Then who's going to play with me?" Kya asked, furrowing her eyebrows as the family made their way inside.

"In a few more months, you'll have a new playmate you can play with anytime." Katara said, placing her hand on her enlarged stomach.

"Do you know if it's going to be a boy or a girl?" The girl asked her mother, who was lifting her up.

"We're not sure yet, but I get the feeling it's going to be a boy." Katara informed the little girl, placing her in her chair.

"Awww I wanted it to be a girl. Can you change it to a girl?" Kya innocently asked, receiving laughter from both of her parents.

"I wish I could, but we can't." Aang said, bringing plates of hot food from the kitchen and placing them on the dining table.

"Why not? You're the Avatar, daddy. You can do anything!" Kya exclaimed, stretching out her arms. Aang shook his head.

"Not everything. There are some things that your mother can do that I can't." Aang pointed out, filling his wife's and his daughter's plates with food.

"Like what?" The four year old asked.

"Like knowing how to act calm on our first date." Aang confessed, chuckling as Katara laughed along.

"Was I that bad?" Aang asked, embarrassed. Katara playfully nodded.

"You couldn't stop mumbling and the twiddling of your fingers was relentless." Katara said, feeding Kya a spoonful of rice.

"Wowwwwwww! You had a first date? Was it magical?" Kya asked, her eyes widened and sparkling. Katara and Aang exchanged amused glances.

"…It was awkward…" Aang stated.

"…But it was also one of the most romantic nights of my life." Katara firmly said, leaning across the table to kiss her husband.

"Wowwwww!" The little girl breathed again. She opened her mouth as Katara fed her another spoonful of food.

"When was your first kiss, mommy?" The little girl talked her way through a mouthful of food. Katara scratched her chin.

"Well…it was on a submarine…during an invasion of the fire nation." Katara explained. Kya gave her a puzzled look.

"On a submarine in the fire nation? It should have been in a magical, sparkling, pink castle floating on white, poofy clouds! Was the guy who kissed you romantic at all?" Kya said with an unimpressed look. Katara let out a loud laugh while Aang crossed his arms.

"Hey, I didn't plan it to be that way! I didn't know how things would turn out, so I kissed her!" Aang sarcastically complained. Kya's mouth hung wide open.

"_Daddy _was your first kiss?" Kya asked Katara, amazed. Katara nodded.

"That is so cooooooooool!" Kya exclaimed, hopping in her seat.

"You seem to be fascinated by people in love." Aang said, chuckling. Kya shrugged.

"I like love stories!" The little girl said matter-of-factly. "Tell me more! What was the most romantic thing Daddy ever said to you?" Kya pressed Katara.

"Hmm….probably…'will you go penguin sledding with me?'" Katara stated. Kya raised her eyebrow.

"How is that the most romantic thing?" She asked curiously. Aang leaned forward in his chair.

"Yes…how _is _that romantic?" He asked with a teasingly curious look. Katara shrugged.

"Well…it _was _the first you ever said to me…and we were so young…and you were so full of joy…and you loved penguin sledding. You said it was your favorite thing to do and you wanted to share it with me. That's why." Katara explained, put another spoonful in Kya's mouth.

"Ohhhh…" Kya and Aang said, simultaneously.

"So when did you fall in love with each other?" Kya asked, resting her chin on her hands.

"I guess it just happened over time for me from the minute I met him until the end of the war." Katara said as she began putting the dishes away while Aang helped her.

"What about you, Daddy?" Kya asked, turning to her father.

"Well…for me, it was the first time I laid my eyes on her." Aang said, taking dishes into the kitchen.

"Wowwww!" Kya exclaimed as Katara laughed.

"Other children would think that their parents' love stories would be gross, but you seem to enjoy them." Katara observed, picking up Kya out of her high chair and placing her on the ground.

"I like them because it's like a prince coming to save a princess and it's all magical and cute and stuff!" Kya explained enthusiastically.

"Well…you'll know what it's like when you find out for yourself someday." Aang said, taking a seat on the couch.

"Really!" Kya exclaimed. Aang nodded. Kya turned around and tugged on Katara's dress.

"Mommy, can I ask you something?" She innocently said.

"Yes, what is it, sweetie?" Katara asked.

"It's kind of a secret." Kya said, motioning Katara to come closer as Aang raised an amused eyebrow. Katara knelt down to Kya's eye level.

"What is this secret?" Katara asked, whispering.

"It's a secret question. I know that Daddy was your first kiss and you loved him and stuff…but who was your _first_ _love?" _Kya whispered. Katara smiled.

"Turn around." She instructed Kya, as the little girl turned to face the Avatar.

"He's sitting there across the room."

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><p><strong>This one-shot was a little shorter but I enjoyed writing it.<strong>

**Please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you guys SO MUCH for reviewing/favoriting/following this story. It means a lot to me. YOU PEOPLE ARE THE BEST! :D**

**I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.**

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><p>The sound of rustling branches and leaves in response to the warm summer breeze was the only thing Katara heard as she stared blankly at the bedroom ceiling, awaiting sleep to come. The gang was staying at the Ember Island beach house for the time being. They needed to attend several upcoming important meetings dealing with a fire nation rebellion. However, to Katara's displeasure, they just <em>had<em> to stay during the summer…in the _fire nation_. She knew temperatures could reach to 110 degrees, not at all like the Southern Water Tribe, where it was always cool and comfortable.

The sixteen-year-old flipped onto her side in order to find a better position to achieve sleep in this uncomfortably hot weather. After a few minutes, the waterbender kicked off her blanket and sat up, wiping the sweat off of her face.

"_It's no use. I guess I'll be up all night." _She thought, sighing. Katara swung her feet over to the side of the bed and got up, making her way to her bedroom window, which overlooked Ember Island Beach. She watched the smooth waves make their way towards the beach against a glossy, blue, night sky. She took sight of the glowing waxing gibbous and the even sand all over the shore until something caught her eye. It was the sitting figure of a person with a perfectly round, boyish head. Katara caught herself smiling.

"_Guess Aang will have some company." _ She thought, making her way out of her bedroom, down the stairs and out the door. She could feel the sea breeze against her skin as she make her way up to the boy sitting in the sand, his eyes fixed on the waves of the ocean.

"Hey," Katara said, startling the boy.

"Oh, hey." Aang said as Katara seated herself down on the sand next to him.

"Can't sleep either?" The girl asked. Aang shook his head.

"This whole fire nation rebellion thing is making me tense." He confessed.

"Oh. For me, it's the heat." Katara said, once again wiping the sweat off her forehead. Aang turned to face the ocean again.

"It's relaxing being out here; just listening to the ocean and being alone…it's like a nice, undisturbed silence." The Avatar explained. Katara nodded.

"If I'm disturbing you, I can leave if you want." Katara offered.

"No! Don't leave. It's…nicer out here with you." Aang confessed. Katara smiled.

"Okay." She replied. A few seconds passed before one of them spoke.

"How did you know I was here?" Aang asked her. Katara shrugged.

"I couldn't sleep so I looked out my window and I saw a bald headed person, so I guessed it was you." She said, smiling.

"Yup, that's me." Aang agreed.

"You know…you should grow your hair out once more. It looks good on you." Katara pointed out. Aang raised an eyebrow.

"That or I could grow a beard. " Aang said, smiling as Katara laughed.

"I'm serious! I want to have a beard when I get older." He said, laughing.

"Why a beard?" She questioned. Aang shrugged.

"All the other guys will have facial hair when I grow up…and since I won't have hair on my head, why not a beard?" Aang explained.

"What about a mustache?" Katara pointed out. Aang raised an eyebrow.

"Can you imagine _me_ in a mustache?" Aang teasingly asked. Katara laughed as the picture came to her head.

"Okay, never mind." Katara giggled. Silence settled in between the two once again.

"The moon is bright tonight." Katara pointed out as Aang turned his face up towards the moon. Then, his eyes dropped.

"Yeah." He said in a somber voice. Katara took notice of his expression.

"What's wrong?" She asked. Aang shook his head.

"The moon… Yue…it just reminds me of all the people who sacrificed themselves for my mistakes. It's just so frustrating and makes me question being the Avatar…a lot…" Aang sat up to hug his knees. Katara sighed.

"Aang—"

"I have this whole rebellion thing on my hands and it feels like I have to face problem after problem being the Avatar. I'm just fourteen years old! When will it stop?" Aang complained, turning to ask Katara the unanswerable question. Katara took in the Avatar's hopeless expression and then looked down at the smooth sand.

"It will never stop for you, Aang. You're the Avatar. You'll have problems and you'll have to face them. You have the right to a happy life as much as anyone else, but you also have the responsibility of the world on your shoulders. It's tough, but you have to remember that you are never alone. You have all of us right behind you…you have me." The waterbender explained, taking his hand in hers. Aang's eyes drooped once again.

"Sometimes, I wonder what it would be like not to be the Avatar…just Aang. I wonder if it would affect the way some people look at me…the way you look at me…" Aang somberly voiced his thoughts while tracing the cool sand with his finger. Katara's mouth dropped open in disbelief that he would say or think such a thing.

"Aang, I don't care if you're the Avatar or not. To me, you are Aang; an incredibly talented, charming, wise, funny, and caring boy and being the Avatar has nothing to do with it. I wouldn't think any less of you." Katara encouraged him as his eyes met hers.

"You really think so?" He childishly asked.

"Of course." The waterbender assured, leaning and placing a kiss on the boy's forehead.

"Thanks, Katara." He replied, blushing.

"Come on. I know what will make you feel better." Katara told him, getting up from the sand.

"What is it?" He curiously asked, airbending himself up. She simply smiled and took his hand, leading him towards the water.

When they stopped right before the cool waves touched their feet, Aang turned to Katara and raised his eyebrow. Katara simply removed her water tribe tunic and pants, revealing only her bindings. Then, she leaped into the ocean water and began swimming, splashing the water with her kicks. After a few seconds, she halted and turned around to observe the Avatar, who was simply watching her.

"Well, don't just stand there! Come on in!" She called out, smiling. Aang blinked and shook his head, as if coming out of a trance. He removed his air nomad clothing and baggy pants, threw them off to the side, and leaped into the water as well, making his way to the waterbender.

"Why here?" He asked, curiously as he reached her. Katara shrugged.

"So I can do this." She informed before bending a tunnel of ocean water right at his face with a flick of her wrist. The airbender was knocked backwards and was dunked under the water. He emerged, shaking the water off his face, and fixing his eyes on the waterbender.

"I'm going to get you for that." He warned, shooting himself towards the girl with advanced waterbending. She giggled and turned around and propelled herself away from the Avatar.

"You can't catch me with waterbending. I am your master, young pupil, so I know all of your tricks." Katara mocked in a safe distance away from Aang. The airbender narrowed his eyes and shot a huge blast of air and water behind him, rocketing himself towards a surprised Katara. He gripped her wrists before she could get away.

"Looks like I've caught you." He playfully smirked. Katara rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, but that was cheating." She smiled.

"It isn't cheating if you're the avatar." He stated, bringing her closer.

"Fine then, Avatar. You win. So what's my punishment for dunking your almighty avatar head in the water?" Katara joked.

"You can kiss me," He said softly.

"Not much of a punishment, but I'll take it." Katara replied as the two leaned in until their lips met. Aang's hands released Katara's wrists, holding on to her waist instead as Katara's arms slowly made their way around his neck. The two cherished this moment; being under the moon on a beautiful night in the arms of the one they love. After a few moments, they pulled back.

"You're right. This _did_ cheer me up." Aang replied, grinning.

"We should probably get back to shore before a huge tide kicks up or something." Katara warned, not realizing how far they were from the beach.

"You're right. Let's go." Aang said. The two benders swam/waterbended their way to shore. When they washed up on the sand, Aang dried the two off with quick airbending before retrieving their clothes.

"Thanks for making me feel better, Katara. It's seems like you're learning how to have more fun than I am." Aang laughed, putting on his clothes.

"I didn't see that usual adorable smile on your face, so I decided to help you." Katara smiled, dusting the sand off of her water tribe tunic.

"We should probably get some sleep. I feel tired after all that splashing around in the water." Aang said, yawning.

"Oh yeah…sleep. I don't think I can get any of it with this horrible heat." Katara stated as the two started making their way inside the house. They climbed the stairs and stopped before Katara's bedroom door with Aang's across the hall.

"If the heat is bothering you, I know a cool airbending trick that makes my body cooler." Aang informed.

"Really?" Katara asked. This explains how he was able to sleep in the hottest or coldest weathers. He probably just adjusts his body temperature with airbending.

"Yeah but…"Aang began, nervously scratching the back of his neck. "You'll have to be touching me to share the same body temperature."

"Oh…that makes sense." Katara replied, sensing the awkwardness that was emerging between them.

"It's okay if you don't want to." Aang blurted out.

"No, no. It's okay. I'm okay with it. If you don't mind…" Katara told him.

"I don't mind." Aang answered quickly.

"Okay. Thanks, Aang." Katara replied, letting him into her bedroom. The two plopped down on the bed and turned sideways to face each other.

"Here." Aang said, opening his arms. Katara smiled as she moved into his arms as they closed around her.

"Wow. You're really cold." Katara said, surprised at his cool touch. Aang smiled.

"Just glad to help." He replied. Katara could already feel sleep coming to her eyes without the bothersome heat and better yet—in Aang's arms.

"Good night." She sleepily said.

"Good night." Aang replied. He kissed her forehead, causing a blush to creep through her cheeks.

At that point, she had realized that maybe the heat wasn't so bad after all.

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><p><strong>Feel free to leave any suggestions, requests, comments, concerns, or more awesome reviews. :P<strong>


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